The Christian purge in Middle East

 Two thousand years after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, Christianity is facing its biggest crisis in Middle East, the very place it was born.
 
 The followers of Christ are on the verge of extinct in Middle East after a series of religious cleansing, killings and exodus. The painful saga of exodus in Bible is being reenacted in Middle East, one of the cradles of Christianity in the world. 

A year ago, I wrote Christians were fleeing on foot with no food, money or water to escape the wrath of ISIS militants. It’s a pity that the conscience of the world has still not woken up. Today the story of Christianity is finished in Iraq, Libya and Syria. People can’t stay in these regions because there is death for whoever stays.

 "Most victims of war and terrorism in the Middle East are Muslims, since they are by far the majority of the population. But the tiny Christian minority often feels singled out. Their numbers are declining where the fighting is worst (see chart). Overall, the proportion of Middle Easterners who are Christian has dropped from 14 per cent in 1910 to 4 per cent today. Church leaders and pundits have begun to ask whether Christianity will vanish from the Middle East, its cradle, after 2,000 years," The Economist magazine said in an article titled "And then there were none". 

 This reminds one of the great mystery novel by Agatha Christie by the identical tile  "And then there were none". This novel is about of ten people who were involved in murders and all them got killed mysteriously in an island. Christians are getting killed in the Middle East, but there's a difference: Christians are innocent and not involved in any murders like the ten murders in Christie's novel.

 No doubt, an exodus is under way. Many Christians feel more at home in the West and have the means to get there. "Some are leaving because of the general atmosphere of violence and economic malaise. Others worry about persecution. A recent video of three Assyrian Christians in orange jumpsuits being made to kneel before being shot in the head by Islamic State (IS) jihadists fuelled this fear—though IS treats many other groups equally badly," the magazine said.  

 Mosul, in northern Iraq, was once home to tens of thousands of Christians. Perceived as supporting the Americans, they were targeted by insurgents after the invasion. A wave of killings in 2008, including that of the local Chaldean archbishop, seemed to mark the low point for the community. Then came ISIS. When the jihadists entered the city in 2014, they reportedly tagged Christian houses with an “N” for “Nazarene”, and gave their occupants a choice: convert, pay the jizya, a tax on non-Muslims, or face possible death. Most fled. In July 2014 IS announced that the city was free of Christians.

 "Many who left Mosul went to Erbil, the Kurdish capital of northern Iraq, where they have trouble finding work or obtaining public services. Even there, some refugees chafe at the enforcement of Muslim customs. In general, Christians complain that their Muslim neighbours are growing increasingly intolerant," says the article. In the decades before the Arab spring, many Christian leaders lent their support to authoritarian rulers in return for the protection of Christians —and their own lofty status. But the deals broke down when the dictators fell or wobbled, leaving Christians in a predicament. This happened in Iraq when Saddam Hussein was removed. This is not because the regime fell, but because there was no more authority, there was a vacuum. In Syria, it’s the same thing, Christians do not back the regime of Bashar al-Assad, but they are afraid of what may come next.

 The Economist says Christian leaders have often supported whichever strongman is in power. The late Pope Shenouda III, head of the Coptic church, the largest in the Middle East, backed Hosni Mubarak, Egypt’s former dictator, and discouraged Copts from joining the protests that would eventually topple him. In 2012 Shenouda was succeeded by Tawadros II, who supports the current strongman, Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi. The Copts have gained little from their leaders’ loyalty. Mubarak stood by as relations between Christians and Muslims deteriorated and sectarian violence increased. Sisi is seen as better than the Islamist government that he toppled. A draft law would make it easier to build churches. But Copts are still expelled from villages for such crimes as falling in love with a Muslim.

 According to the magazine, even in Lebanon, where Christians were once a majority and still hold considerable power, their political leaders have disappointed. Under the country’s unique system, government posts are shared out based on sect. The presidency goes to a Maronite, the largest group of Christians. But in recent decades many Christians have left. Muslims are now a majority, and want power to match their numbers. Christian political leaders complain of persecution, but many seem more concerned with enhancing their own power. Bickering between politicians has left the presidency vacant for 18 months.

 Interestingly, the Gulf, home to the most conservative brand of Islam, which has welcomed the largest number of Christians recently, though not from Iraq or Syria. "A wave of migrant labourers from the Asia-Pacific has dramatically increased the share of Christians in countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which had few before. Tolerance varies between countries. Saudi Arabia, for example, bans the practice of Christianity (though many Christians worship in private). The UAE restricts proselytisation, but has otherwise supported its Christians. The number of churches in the country has grown from 24 in 2005 to 40 today. The emirate’s rulers often provide churches with free land, water and electricity. But these new Christian enclaves may not last. Migrant workers in the Gulf cannot easily become citizens or put down roots," it says.

Saint of the gutters set to be canonised

 Mother Teresa of Kolkata, the Nobel laureate known for dedicating her life to helping the poorest of the poor, will be made a saint of the Roman Catholic Church, the Vatican said on Friday.
 The Vatican didn’t provide further details, but according to a report in Avvenire, the official newspaper of the Italian Catholic bishops’ conference, Mother Teresa’s canonization would probably occur on Sept, 4, 2016, the day before her feast day. Pope Francis has cleared the way for sainthood by approving a decree recognising a second miracle attributed to her intercession with God - a necessary event for such a move in the church.
 Known as the "saint of the gutters", the diminutive nun is expected to be canonised -- formally made a saint -- in early September. It was not clear if the ceremony would take place in Rome or if the pope would travel to India to preside over it.
 Mother Teresa, who died in 1997 at the age of 87, become an international icon of charity in the 20th century but has also been criticised for trying to convert people to Christianity. She was beatified in 2003 by the late Pope John Paul II. Beatification, which requires one miracle, is the last step before sainthood, which requires two.
 The church believes saints are holy men and women who lived extraordinary lives of virtue and are believed to be in Heaven with God.
 Francis, who has made concern for the poor a major plank of his papacy, was keen to make Mother Teresa a saint during the Church's current Holy Year, or Jubilee, in which Catholics are called on to emphasise the need for mercy and compassion in the world.
 Mother Teresa's second miracle involved the inexplicable healing of a Brazilian man who was suffering from a viral brain infection that resulted in multiple abscesses with hydrocephalus, according to Church officials.
 Relatives prayed to Mother Teresa and he recovered, leaving his doctors at a loss to explain how. A Vatican medical commission deemed the sudden recovery "inexplicable in the light of present-day medical knowledge," according to Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, the chief promoter of the sainthood cause.

"CHRISTMAS GIFT"

 In Kolkata, Sunita Kumar, spokeswoman for Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity religious order said the nuns were "over the moon" when they got the news. "We thought her whole life was a miracle. Her whole life was dedicated to the poor and there was nothing else in her mind than service. Everyone was accepted and there was no obstruction in her work," she told Reuters.
 Archbishop Thomas D'Souza of Calcutta told Reuters the news from Rome was "the best Christmas gift," adding, "Her entire life and work was for the poor. Now it is in a way officially recognised. We are grateful to God."
 In the years since her death, some critics accused her and the order of having ulterior motives, saying their real aim was to convert people to Christianity. The order has denied the allegations, saying, for example, that most of those helped in the Kalighat Home for Dying Destitutes in Kolkata were non-Christians with just a few days left to live and noting that conversion is a lengthy process.
 The order has also denied allegations of financial mismanagement of the huge sums it received from donor.
 Mother Teresa was born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu of Albanian parents in Macedonia in 1910 in what was then part of the Ottoman Empire.  She founded the Missionaries of Charity to help the poor on the streets of Kolkata and the religious order later spread throughout the world. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.
(Reuters)

Dechristianisation campaign: Who's behind it?

 Over 53 years ago, on June 25, 1962, the United States Supreme Court decided in Engel v. Vitale that a prayer approved by the New York Board of Regents for use in schools violated the First Amendment by constituting an establishment of religion. The following year, in Abington School District v. Schempp, the Court disallowed Bible readings in public schools for similar reasons.
 
 Who's behind such campaigns? Answer: Devil. The proponents of Devil have been tirelessly working for dechristianisation in various countries. Undoubtedly, they had some successes here and there while indulging in their campaign against Christianity.  What happened -- is happening now -- in Iraq and Syria is another form of dechristianisation. Unfortunately, this campaign has been going on in many countries.

  The latest is from Britain. A two-year inquiry into the place of religion in modern society has concluded Britain is no longer a Christian country and should stop acting as if it is a Christian country. The Commission on Religion and Belief in Public Life, chaired by former senior judge Baroness Butler-Sloss and involving leading religious leaders from all faiths, called for public life in Britain to be systematically dechristianised.

 Western countries have debated many times before whether Christianity is a friend or foe of society, but perhaps never so dramatically as during the French Revolution. From about 1790 to 1800, the revolutionary government exiled or executed thousands of Catholic clerics and tried to expunge all traces of France’s Christian past from public life. "The dechristianisation campaign could be seen as part of a broader intellectual movement which sought to question the place of religion within public life. Many enlightened thinkers thought that religion was a matter of private judgement and should not be dictated by secular authorities," Dr Andrew Thompson, an historian at Queens' College, Cambridge University, said in an interview. 

  The Arizona Book Banning and Burning Board, a division of the Arizona Dept of Education, outlawed any teaching of or reference to the Bible in its schools. The Board found both "books" of the Bible: the Old Testament and the New, in  violation of Arizona’s HB2281 (aka the Ethnic Studies Bill) by being "totally biased in favor of the Jews" and teaching the "superiority of the Jewish race."
   According to the Board, the book’s claim that the Jews are God’s chosen people specifically violates three of the four main prohibitions of HB2281. The Bible is "designed primarily for readers of a particular ethnic group" and it "advocates ethnic solidarity instead of treating people as individuals". It also promotes  "resentment towards a race or class of people" in fact dozens of them: the Egyptians whom it accuses of enslaving the Jews, the Babylonians, "hairy men," "scarlet" women, the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah the Medes, the Persians, worshippers of Baal, the Philistines, the Assyrians, the Samaritans, the Hittites, and 143 other  tribes. The Board also mentioned about some outrageous and laughable observations, which are nothing sacrilege.

 Jerry Newcombe, author, TV producer and activist, wrote about an incident involving Bible. "In our own backyard here in Broward County, Fla. has arisen a disturbing story of a twelve year old boy (Giovanni Rubeo) getting in trouble with his teacher for having the audacity of reading the Bible to himself during free time, when the children were free to read whatever they wanted to. But his teacher singled out the Bible (a Christmas gift Gio treasures) because it was allegedly inappropriate to read in the school. In her own words, it was "the book he's reading as opposed to the curriculum for public school. Again, this was during free time," he wrote.

 She had told Giovanni on previous occasions not to read the Bible, so she called the student's father to berate him, leaving a message, saying, "He's not permitted to read those (religious) books in my classroom. He said if I told him to put it away, you (the dad) said not to do that."

 Let's come back to the British report. The Commission on Religion and Belief in Public Life's report says "three striking trends in recent decades have revolutionised the landscape on which religion and belief in Britain meet and interact. The first is the increase in the number of people with non-religious beliefs and identities."

 "The second is the decline in Christian affiliation, belief and practice and within this decline a shift in Christian affiliation that has meant that Anglicans no longer comprise a majority of Christians. The third is the increase in the number of people who have a religious affiliation but who are not Christian".

 According to wire reports, the British report highlights figures showing the decline in people who say they are Anglicans from 40 per cent in 1983 to less than a fifth in 2013. "The increase in those with non-religious beliefs, the reduction in the number of Christians and an increase in their diversity, and the increase in the number of people identifying with non-Christian religions: these are the settled social context of Britain today and for the foreseeable future, as is the unsettled and unsettling context of the international environment," the 150-page report says.
  Its central recommendation is for a UK-wide consultation exercise to draw up a 21st century equivalent to the 'Magna Carta' to define the values at the heart of modern Britain instead of the UK government's controversial "British values" requirements, the Daily Telegraph reported.  The report provoked a warning from the Church of England. It apparently said the report is dominated by the old fashioned view that traditional religion is declining in importance and that non-adherence to a religion is the same as humanism or secularism.
  Christianity has survived 2000 years. The advent, life, passion, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ is to save the mankind. Devil can't succeed by stalling this glorious mission of Jesus. Lets wait and see.

Yoga in philosophy and practice is incompatible with Christianity

By Fr James Manjackal M.S.F.S.

 As a Catholic Christian born in a traditional Catholic family in Kerala, India, but lived amidst the Hindus; and now as a catholic religious priest and charismatic preacher in 60 countries in all continents, I have something to say about the bad effects of Yoga on Christian spirituality and life. I know there is a growing interest on Yoga all over the world, even among Christians- and this interest is extended to other esoteric and new age practices like Reiki, reincarnation, acupressure, acupuncture, pranic healing, reflexology, etc. which are methods against which the Vatican has cautioned and warned in her document “Jesus Christ bearer of the water of life”.
 

For some, Yoga is a means of relaxation and easing of tension and for others is a form of exercise promoting fitness and health and for a few is a means of healing of sicknesses. There is much confusion in the mind of the average Catholic- lay and cleric- because Yoga as promoted among Catholics is neither entirely a health discipline nor entirely a spiritual discipline, but sometimes one, sometimes the other, and often a mixture of both.  But in fact, Yoga is primarily a spiritual discipline and I know even priests and nuns in the seminaries and novitiates promote Yoga as help to meditation and prayer. It is sad that now a days, many Catholics are loosing trust in the great spiritualities and mysticisms for prayer and discipline handed over to them by great saints like Ignatius of Loyola, Francis of Assisi, Francis of Sales, St. Theresa of Avila, etc. and are now going after the Eastern spiritualities and mysticisms coming from Hinduism and Buddhism. It is in this regard that a sincere Christian should inquire into Yoga’s compatibility with the Christian spirituality and the wisdom of incorporating its techniques into Christian prayer and meditation.

 What is Yoga? The word Yoga means “union”, the goal of Yoga is to unite one’s transitory (temporary) self, “JIVA” with the infinite “BRAHMAN”, the Hindu concept of God.. This God is not a personal God, but it is an impersonal spiritual substance which is one with nature and cosmos. Brahman is an impersonal divine substance that “pervades, envelopes and underlies everything”. Yoga has its roots in the Hindu Upanishads, which is as old as 1.000 BC, and it tells about Yoga thus, “unite the light within you with the light of Brahman”. “The absolute is within one self” says the Chandogya Upanishads, “TAT TUAM ASI” or “THOU ART THAT”. The Divine dwells within each one of us through His microcosmic representative, the individual self called Jiva. In the Bhagavad Gita, the lord Krishna describes the Jiva as “my own eternal portion”, and “the joy of Yoga comes to yogi who is one with Brahman”. In A.D. 150, the yogi Patanjali explained the eight ways that leads the Yoga practices from ignorance to enlightenment – the eight ways are like a staircase – They are self-control (yama), religious observance (niyama), postures (asana), breathing exercises (pranayama), sense control (pratyahara), concentration (dharana), deep contemplation (dhyana), enlightenment (samadhi). It is interesting to note, here, that postures and breathing- exercises, often considered to be the whole of Yoga in the West, are steps 3 and 4 towards union with Brahman! Yoga is not only an elaborate system of physical exercises, it is a spiritual discipline, purporting to lead the soul to samadhi, total union with the divine being. Samadhi is the state in which the natural and the divine become one, man and God become one without any difference (Brad Scott: Exercise or religious practice? Yoga: What the teacher never taught you in that Hatha Yoga class” in the Watchman Expositor Vol. 18, No. 2, 2001).

 Such a view is radically contrary to Christianity which clearly distinguishes between Creator and creature, God and man. In Christianity, God is the “Other” and never the self. It is sad that some promoters of Yoga, Reiki and other disciplines and meditations, had misquoted some isolated Bible quotations to substantiate their arguments such as, “you are the temple of God”, “the living water flows from you”, “you will be in me and I will be in you”, “it is no longer I that lives but Christ lives in me”, etc. without understanding the context and the meaning of those words in the Bible. There are even people who portray Jesus as a yogi as we can see now a days such pictures of Jesus in convent-chapels and presbyteries - Jesus presented in yogi postures of meditation!

 To call Jesus “a yogi” is to deny His intrinsic divinity, holiness and perfection and suggest that He had a fallen nature subject to ignorance and illusion (Maya), that He needed to be liberated from the human condition through the exercise and discipline of Yoga. Yoga is incompatible with the Christian Spirituality because it is pantheistic (God is everything and everything is God), and holds that there is only one Reality and all else is illusion or Maya. If there is only one absolute reality and all else is illusory, there can be no relationship and no love. The Centre of Christian faith is faith in the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, three persons in one God-Head, the perfect model of loving relationship. Christianity is all about relationships, with God and among men, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it, you shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Mt 22: 37-39).

 In Hinduism, good and evil, like pain and pleasure are illusory (Maya) and therefore unreal. Vivekananda, the most respected icons of modern Hinduism, said “good and evil are one and the same” (Vivekananda. “The yogas and other works” published, Ramakrishna Vivekananda Centre NY 1953). In Christianity the vexing problem of sin as an offence against the Holiness of God is inseparable from our faith, because sin is the reason why we need a Saviour. The Incarnation, the Life, the Passion, the Death and the Resurrection of Jesus are for us means for salvation, that is to set us free from sin and its consequences. We can not ignore this fundamental difference in order to absorb Yoga and other Eastern meditation techniques into Christian Spirituality. The practice of Yoga is pagan at best, and occult at worst. This is the religion of antichrist and for the first time in history it is being wildly practised throughout the Western world and America. It is ridiculous that even yogi masters wearing a Cross or a Christian symbol deceive people saying that Yoga has nothing to do with Hinduism and say that it is only accepting the other cultures. Some have masked Yoga with Christian gestures and call it “Christian Yoga”. Here it is not a question of accepting the culture of other people, it is a question of accepting another religion which is irrelevant to our religion and religious concepts.

 It is a pity that Yoga has been wildly spread all over from kindergarten to all form of educational institutions in medicine, psychology, etc. calling itself as a science while it is not a science at all; and they are sold under the label ‘relaxation therapy’, ‘self-hypnosis’, ‘creative visualisation’, ‘centering’, etc. Hatha Yoga, one which is wide spread in Europe and America for relaxation and non-strenous exercises, is one of the six recognized systems of orthodox Hinduism, and it is at its roots religious and mystical, which is the most dangerous forms of Yoga (Dave Hunt, “the seduction of Christianity” page 110)  Remember the words of St. Paul, “No wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light” (II Cor 11: 14). It is true that many people are healed by Yoga and other Eastern ways of meditation and prayers. Here the Christian should ask themselves whether they need healing and material benefits or their God Jesus Christ in Whom they believe, Who is the source of all healings and good health.

 The desire to become God is the first and second sin in the history of creation as chronologically recorded in the Bible, “You said in your heart, I will scale the heavens, above the stars of God I will set up my throne; I will take my sit on the mount of Assembly, in the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds, I will be like the Most High” (Is 14: 13-14). The serpent said to the woman, “You will not die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God who knows what is good and what is bad” (Gen 3: 4-5). The philosophy and practice of Yoga are based on the belief that man and God are one. It teaches one to focus on oneself instead on the One True God. It encourages its participants to seek the answers to life’s problems and questions within their own mind and conscience instead of finding solutions in the Word of God through the Holy Spirit as it is in Christianity. It definitely leaves one open to deception from God’s enemy, who searches for victims whom he can take away from God and the Church (IPet  5: 8)

 For last eight years, I was preaching the Word of God mainly in European countries, which once were the cradles of Christianity, producing evangelisers and missionaries, martyrs and saints. Now can we call Europe Christian? Is it not true that Europe has erased all its Christian concepts and values from lives? Why Europe is ashamed to say that it has Christian roots? Where are the moral values and ethics practised by Europeans from down the centuries and handed over to other countries and cultures by the bold proclamation of the Gospel of Christ? From the fruits we shall know the tree!. I believe that these doubts and confusions, apostasy and infidelism, religious coldness and indifference came to Europe ever since the Eastern mysticisms and meditations, esoteric and New Age practices were introduced in the West. 

 In my charismatic retreats, the majority of the participants come with various moral, spiritual, mental and physical problems in order to be liberated and healed and to have a new life through the power of the Holy Spirit. With all sincerity of heart I will say, 80 to 90 per cent of the participants had been to Yoga, Reiki, reincarnation, etc of the Eastern religious practices where they lost faith in Jesus Christ and the Church. In Croatia, Bosnia, Germany, Austria and Italy I had clear instances where individuals who were possessed with the powers of darkness cried out “I am Reiki”, “I am Mr. Yoga”, identifying themselves to these concepts as persons while I was conducting prayers of healing for them. Later, I had to pray over them by the prayer of deliverance to liberate them from the evil possessions.

 There are some people who say, “there is nothing wrong in having the practices of these, it is enough not to believe the philosophies behind”. The promoters of Yoga, Reiki, etc, themselves very clearly state, that the philosophy and practice are inseparable. So a Christian can not, in any way, accept the philosophy and practice of Yoga because Christianity and Yoga are mutually exclusive view points. Christianity sees man’s primary problem as sin, a failure to conform to both, the character and standards of a morally perfect God. Man is alienated from God and he is in need of reconciliation. The solution is Jesus Christ “The lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”. Through Jesus’ death on the Cross, God reconciled the world to Himself. He, now calls man to freely receive all the benefits of his salvation through faith in Christ alone.
 
  Unlike Yoga, Christianity views Salvation as a free gift, it can only be received and never be earned or attained by one’s own effort or works. Today what is needed in Europe or elsewhere is the powerful preaching of the message of Christ coming from the Bible and interpreted by the Church in order to remove the doubts and confusions wildly spread among the Christian in the West and to bring them to the Way, the Truth and Life : Jesus Christ. Only Truth can set us free.

(Fr. James Manjackal, the Founder-Director of the renowned MSFS retreat and renewal centre, Charis Bhavan, in Kerala is currently engaged in preaching retreats and renewal programmes in Europe, America and Gulf countries. His retreats have captured the hearts of many, especially the youth. For more information on his ministry and activities kindly log on to his website: www.jmanjackal.net)

Replace Halloween with Holyween... ignore Halloween, it's devilish

  Should Halloween be scrapped and replaced with 'Holyween' -- a night in which children would attend prayer vigils and dress up as saints?
 Last year, Vatican's first official conference of exorcists warned of a danger to young people at Halloween when there is an increase in occult activity.
 Is Halloween all about fun and frolic? No. As innocent children around the world get excited about dressing up as ghouls and ghosts, the Catholic Church had warned that celebrating Halloween can tempt people into worship of the occult. Halloween originates from superstitions that exalt spirits and demons.
 There's a belief among many people that Halloween was a bit of harmless fun involving fake blood and Frankenstein masks, but they would be gravely mistaken, said Father Aldo Buonaiuto, a Catholic priest who took part in an international conference of exorcists in Rome last year. "Halloween originates from superstitions that exalt malign spirits and demons. Many people see it as a simple carnival, but it is anything but innocent, it is a subterranean world based on the occult," he told La Nazione, an Italian newspaper.
"Halloween is the anti-chamber towards something much more disturbing. For devotees of the occult, October 31 is the satanic new year. It's a time for luring new converts. And it's a time when exorcists have to work harder," said the priest, a member of the Pope John XXIII Association, a Catholic organisation which combats black magic sects in 25 countries around the world. "With the arrival of Halloween, there is an increase in black magic rites, sacrilege and the adoration of Satan, as well as demonic possessions," he said.
 Halloween is one of the most dangerous spiritual holidays of the year. The celebration of Halloween is very common in the US. It has now made an entry into other countries. This writer has come across many Christians and their kids celebrating Halloween without knowing what it represents or signifies. It doesn't strike them that Halloween represents an opportunity to embrace the evil, devilish, dark side of the spiritual world.
 In response to the growing popularity of Halloween, the association has launched a campaign to replace it with a rival, Christian festival called 'Holyween'. The idea is to banish pumpkins, plastic skeletons and other Halloween emblems and instead hang up pictures of saints and martyrs.
 Churches should hold Masses, prayer vigils and adorations in honour of Christian saints in order to combat the malign influence of Halloween, the priest said.
 Pope Francis said in a homily at a morning Mass in Vatican: "This generation, and many others, have been led to believe that the devil is a myth, a figure, an idea, the idea of evil." "But the devil exists and we must fight against him," Pope said.
 Pope Francis had given a special blessing to a group of some 300 Catholic exorcists meeting in Rome ahead of All Saints Day and the Day of the Dead (Halloween) last year. The nature of devils and demons, and their relationship to all kinds of psychological disturbances (or vice versa) is a complicated question, but on one point the Church is unequivocal: exorcism is no job for amateurs. For both the possessed and the priest-practitioner, driving out the devil can be dangerous to mind, body and spirit.
 The International Association of Exorcists was recognized in June by the Vatican's Congregation for the Clergy and convened here in Rome last week week to discuss "best practices" and hear from psychologists who specialize in recognizing what may often be indistinguishable differences between demonic possession and mental illness.

HALLOWEEN, A PAGAN FESTIVAL

 In an article in www.cbn.com, Elliott Watson writes that the origins of Halloween are Celtic in tradition and have to do with observing the end of summer sacrifices to gods in Druidic tradition. In what is now Britain and France, it was the beginning of the Celtic year, and they believed Samhain, the lord of death, sent evil spirits abroad to attack humans, who could escape only by assuming disguises and looking like evil spirits themselves. The waning of the sun and the approach of dark winter made the evil spirits rejoice and play nasty tricks. Believe it or not, most of our Halloween practices can be traced back to these old pagan rites and superstitions.
 "Just before reaching a conclusion on the subject, I was struck with the thought that I ought to further my search and find out what Wicca, the official religion of witchcraft, has to say about Halloween. Perhaps they viewed the day as a simple fun and innocent neighborhood activity?" Watson writes.
 “Shock” is the only word to describe what I found. Halloween is a real, sacred day for those who follow Wicca. In fact, it is one of two high and holy days for them. The Celtic belief of spirits being released is current, along with the worship of Samhain (the lord of death) – both are promoted as something to embrace on that day. There is no question in my mind that to those who believe and follow the practices of witchcraft, Halloween represents an opportunity to embrace the evil, devilish, dark side of the spiritual world, Watson writes.

‘Faith is a conviction… theoretical knowledge is not enough’

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INTERVIEW WITH BISHOP MAR THOMAS ELAVANAL By Sheena George & Nelson C. J.  Soft-spoken and affable Mar Thomas Elavanal, Bishop of Kalyan Diocese, never minces words while talking about various issues related to the faithful and the diocese. In an interview, Mar Elavanal spoke about vocation, maintaining a personal relationship with God, Catholic teachings and ways to tackle inroads by Protestants, sustaining faith and the need to maintain a watch over children while using new technologies like internet and smart phone. Excerpts:  As we celebrate the year of consecrated life, how can we, as parents, encourage our children to take up this as their vocation? Vocation is a call from God. First of all what we need is prayer from the part of parents. Second, set a good example to the children. Everyday my parents used to go to church and in the morning they used to pray Rosary for us. So I was always attached to the church… and as an altar boy I used to recite the prayers in Syriac language. I still remember how my parents used to talk about priests. With at most respect they used to talk about them, like they are men of God. If a priest visited our home, my mother would go and kneel before him and kiss his hands. If she cooked something special at home, we children were entrusted to take a share of it  to the parish priests. Actually my parents never asked me whether I wanted to become a priest. My two sisters are nuns and my brother is a priest. Some of the examples of priests also motivated me to become a priest.  At home, if the parents talk negatively about priests, children will never get an idea to become a priest or nun. To conclude, I would say that the vocation to priesthood is a gift of God and I got this gift of God, the vocation, through my parents. So the parents should take up the responsibility to make the children understand that it’s a sublime vocation. Your Excellency, do you think Sunday catechism and family unit meetings are enough for children, or even adults, to get into a personal relationship with Jesus? If not, what else is necessary?   Sunday school is helping the children and youth to grow in faith. Theoretical knowledge about faith can be given through Sunday school. There also, children need good examples to get a conviction about what they learn in Sunday school. In school or college, or to become a good engineer, theoretical knowledge is sufficient. But faith is a conviction. That’s why after teaching the disciples for 3 years Jesus asked them: "who do you say I am?" This He asked to know whether they got the conviction "who He is". So whenever I talk to Catechism teachers I tell them to give the children living examples and conviction about what they learn.   Last week, when we priests were attending a retreat conducted by Fr Dominic Valanmanal, he spoke about his life experience of living in faith. That motivated me very much. Maybe I have learned the same or even more about faith theoretically but his life example inspired me. Good relationship with Jesus will give a good relationship with the church also. A good relationship with Jesus will always reflect in the relationship with our brethren and with the church. So children will never go away from the church when they become youth if they have good relationship with Jesus. How can we prevent ourselves from getting into the trap of protestant teachings?  First of all, this happens because of our lack of knowledge about our faith. We don’t know how to answer their questions or express the correct knowledge about our faith... hence we can get easily influenced by them. That’s why faith formation must be a continued process. So we must have a platform to discuss our doubts. In Catholic Church, we have three fortresses to protect our faith: 1. Word of God; 2. The Magisterium or the official teaching of the church and 3. The Sacred tradition or the teachings of the Fathers of the church. In Catholic Church, the deposit of faith is never the teaching or interpretation of one person, it’s the collective teaching. Unlike protestant teachings, Catholic Church gives importance to the Sacred traditions as a source of faith. it's never a thought or interpretation of one person. It must always fall in line with or in the light of the tradition of the church. It’s a teaching of 2,000 years. So in order not to get influenced by wrong teachings, we must have platforms to discuss and clear our doubts. Hence an ongoing adult faith formation is a must. I know about one such platform. Parents’ (who are waiting in the church to take their children back home from Catechism classes) get together on Sundays and a resource person to guide them. Whenever we get doubts about venerating Mother Mary or about matters of faith like purgatory etc., we must have such platforms for discussion to clarify our doubts. But somebody must be guiding the discussion. As inter-caste marriages are on the rise in the diocese, what can be done about the situation? What's your assessment?  Why do we discourage inter-caste marriages? In marriage, God is bringing together two persons, making them one in body, mind and spirit. They have to be one in faith to be one in spirit. If faith is not one, they can never become one in spirit. Actually speaking, they cannot pray together. Even ideologically, they can be one. But the foundation is not stable. If the one partner, who is not in Christian faith, is willing to change his/ her faith then you can say it’s a little better than keeping their different faith and getting married. In that case, you can say it's 75 per cent solved. Because there are cases of conversion and there are people who faithfully keep it.  So if somebody does that (conversion), it should not be as a mask just to enter into marriage. When the partners keep their different faith and get married, what about their children? I say this inter-caste marriage is a crime against their children. Which faith should they follow? Who will teach them? They are confusing their children. The Bible teaches no marriage is allowed with non-believers because you will lose your faith. But unfortunately many a time we have to give the consent letter. You know why? Some parents who are living in good faith find their children adamant in marrying someone from different faith.  Seeing these parents' tears and fearing that if they're not allowed to marry in the church we may lose both, we give the consent. So to keep at least one in the Church we give dispensation. But that (inter-caste marriage) is not considered as a sacrament. To receive the sacrament of matrimony, both the partners must be Catholics. I take classes for the youth and when they understand the teaching even they say this kind of marriage must not be allowed in the Church.  What are the challenges before the diocese at present and in the coming years? Has the diocese been able to take the message of Jesus to interior regions of Maharashtra?  We have four missions. I can say, to a great extend, we are able to take the message of Christ. Sangli mission is the topmost. There we have social and charitable activities -- Christ witnessing events. There was one priest in one of the villages. Every morning he used to pray before the Holy Eucharist in the church. He told the villagers if they have any prayer intentions they can give it to him so that he can pray to God about it. One day, villagers asked whether they can join the prayers. The priest agreed and together they started praying. It so happened that the villagers found their intentions answered and the number of people increased like 25-30.  One day, when I visited this place they were praying. All of them were Hindus but they were praying around the Holy Eucharist. All came to greet me touching my feet. The end result was that a whole village received our faith and we have a parish there just for Marathi people. There was nobody to oppose as the whole villagers took  the decision together and not one person. It’s a small village comprising only 35 people.  We don’t have any challenges at present or even recent times for our diocese. In most of the places, there is an understanding between us and other communities. The advantage they see is that we work for the poor out of love for our Lord and as per His commandment. We had crisis situation before but not at present. We have 185 priests in the diocese including the mission areas.  How can we prevent the young generation from endangering themselves by modern technology? For example, smart phones and internet etc...   A conscientisation must be given to the youth about this through classes. We must keep a watchful eye on them. Only parents can give that. Even in seminaries, our brothers are not allowed to use personal cell phones. The use of computer by our children must be given even more vigilant attention. Even though modern technologies have made our life easier, it has many adverse effects as well. Distraction from their studies is one of them. An enticing or tempting world has been created by the digital world. So we have to be all the more watchful or else there is every chance that our children will go wayward.  How can we encourage our youth to get involved in religious work?  What I suggest is give them various responsibilities, guiding them from behind and correcting them whenever necessary. That will make them more responsible and confident. When I visited Kalewadi parish, Pune, I saw the second trustee was a young person -- from the youth section. I was surprised. Children born and brought up in Kerala are prompted to do things more responsibly than their counterparts in Mumbai. Here in Mumbai, they are provided with whatever they need. So they are not that self responsible. So it is better to train them, giving responsibilities at a young age itself. Then they will do church work without any reluctance. Entrusting them with responsibilities, having confidence in them and giving proper guidance and correction are necessary to make them responsible. How can we the parishioners help you in your ministry?  What I feel is that members of Kalyan Diocese are a group of people who love the church and the diocese. It's not me alone... but also the priests who have visited here feel the same. People are more co-operative here than in Kerala. It's not because here it is a small number, but here we are responsible to build everything for us. In Kerala, everything is provided. Here we can have a church only if we personally contribute.    Each person plays an important role. Major Archbishop visited various churches in our diocese. After visiting these churches, the Major Archbishop asked me, how were you able to build these beautiful churches? I had to tell him, here in our diocese, we have people who are generously supportive and who collaborate with the church. It's because of the people of God we are able to build. Here we feel a sense of belongingness.  Your Excellency has turned 67 years, the diocese is 27 years old and this is your 18th year as Bishop. What do you feel when you look back all these years?  I have satisfaction and joy. When I say joy, I didn’t have any crisis situation at all. Satisfaction because Lord has done many things for our diocese like helping us build churches, buying places etc. We needed a minor seminary and a pastoral centre. All these we got by His grace. That’s why this satisfaction. Another thing is we don’t have any tension like big financial crisis or problems in relationship between priests and the bishop or with the people.

Many of us Christians behave like mummies in a museum

 How serious are Christians in their faith? Many of the Christians -- Catholics included -- are not taking their faith seriously. I would rather say many of us are also-ran and behave like mummies in a museum. We are not seeking Jesus Our Lord; He is not considered as our Saviour and Redeemer.

  For many of us Christians, Church is some kind of a club to climb the social ladder or get business deals. Many of us treat Church as a place to be seen and manage things. And so the biggest threat of all gradually takes shape: “the gray pragmatism of the daily life of the Church, in which all appears to proceed normally, while in reality faith is wearing down and degenerating into small-mindedness”.

 As Evangelii Gaudium says, a “tomb psychology” thus develops and slowly transforms Christians into mummies in a museum. Disillusioned with reality, with the Church and with themselves, they experience a constant temptation to cling to a faint melancholy, lacking in hope, which seizes the heart like “the most precious of the devil’s potions”.

  Called to radiate light and communicate life, in the end they are caught up in things that generate only darkness and inner weariness, and slowly consume all zeal for the apostolate.

  Most of us are like the crowd that followed Jesus when he went to the house of Jairus to see his sick daughter. (Please read Mark 5:21-43). A big crowd was milling around Jesus. They didn’t know know who Jesus really is. They just followed him and saw His miracles. “Many of us are like the crowd that followed Jesus. We don’t know him. We go for Holy Mass and sit in the church as if some drama or cinema is going on there,” says Rev Fr Biju Kollamkunnel.


 This mentality was displayed by the crowd  around Jesus who was on the way to Jairus’ house.
  That said, there are some people who have deep faith and belief in Jesus like that woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. ^“When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.”  Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering,” Bible says.
 The small group of people like the sick woman seeks Jesus and trust in Him. And miracles happen in their life. This small group gets healed.

 Mark 5:35 says, “while Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?” The people who said this don’t know Jesus. They didn’t know He was the son of God. If they had known that they wouldn’t have said this.  
 The Bible continues, “He went in and said to them, ’Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.’ But they laughed at him.” The Bible says “they laughed at him”. They thought Jesus arrived late and the daughter of Jairus has already died. So what can Jesus do now? The crowd underestimated Jesus. Later we read that Jesus brought her back to life.

 Yes, we are also part of this crowd. We don’t know Jesus. We also behave like the way this crowd behaved. We attend the Holy Mass or praise and worship without knowing Him. We sit in the Church or prayer hall as if we are in a cinema hall or a theatre. And then, we call ourselves Christians.  

 Pope Francis uses harsh words to lambast such people. He says spiritual worldliness lurks behind a fascination with social and political gain, or pride in their ability to manage practical affairs, or an obsession with programmes of self-help and self-realization. It can also translate into a concern to be seen, into a social life full of appearances, meetings, dinners and receptions. It can also lead to a business mentality, caught up with management, statistics, plans and evaluations whose principal beneficiary is not God’s people but the Church as an institution.

 This leads us to display a “tomb psychology” and slowly transforms Christians into mummies in a museum. Jesus doesn’t want us to be mummies.

  

  

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Sanctify your secret life… Mene, mene, tekel, parsin, God warns

‘Do we have a secret life? Yes, most of us have a bad and evil secret side. We don’t disclose this evil life to anyone. Not even to priests or pastors. But Bible says very clearly that we need to sanctify our secret life. We need to confess our sins, repent our sins and reconcile with God.      

 Mene, mene, tekel, parsin’: This is God’s warning to everyone, not to King Belshazzar alone.

 We indulge in lot of things that God doesn’t want us to do. This can be an adulterous life, addiction to porn, living a sinful life without a sense of sin, violation of God’s commandments and refusal to repent the sins, murder, character assassination etc. etc. Then we keep away from people and society. We hide somewhere. We remain lonely, like Elijah in a cave. 

  We must come out of that dark cave to the sunlight. We must sanctify our secret life. Yes, sanctification through confession, repentance and reconciliation. Sadly, we live like modern-day Cains.

  God asked Cain: “where’s your brother Abel?” God is not questioning Cain alone – He’s asking us also. Where’s the baby that I had given life in your wife’s womb? You must ask yourself about the aborted child. It can be your aborted child or your own father whom you despise or your neighbour with whom you have an enmity. Your Abel may be your father, neighbour, brother or your own kids.

 Rev Fr Nelson Job OCD, one of my favourite charismatic preachers, vividly explained this recently on a television programme. Fr Nelson quoted some good examples from Bible to drive home the importance and necessity for sanctification of our secret life.

1.  When you read King David’s story, you come across an incident. When David was ruling as a “Mr Clean”, Prophet Nathan came to his palace and told him a story. “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.

 “Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.” David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! ⁶ He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.” Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man.” Then King David repented. He had earlier despised the word of the Lord by doing what was evil in his eyes. David struck down Uriah, his army chief, with the sword and took his wife to be his own. David had violated commandments 9, 6 and 5 and ruled as a “Mr Clean”. King David had a secret life which Nathan pointed out to him and he repented.  

2. Let’s move to Daniel 5:25: "This is the inscription that was written: mene, mene, tekel, parsin.”  

 These words were written by a mysterious hand on the wall of Belshazzar's palace, and interpreted by Daniel as predicting the doom of the king and his dynasty. 

  Holy Bible says: Once when King Belshazzar was giving a banquet to his lords and drinking wine from the golden vessels of the Temple of Yhwh, a man's hand was seen writing on the wall certain mysterious words. The king got frightened by the apparition and ordered his astrologers to explain the inscription; but they were unable to read it. Daniel was then summoned to the royal palace; and the king promised him costly presents if he would decipher the inscription. 

 Daniel read it "Mene, mene, tekel, parsin" and explained it to mean that God had "numbered" the kingdom of Belshazzar and brought it to an end; that the king had been weighed and found wanting; and that his kingdom was divided and given to the Medes and Persians.

 Yes, these words -- Mene, mene, tekel, parsin – are supposed to sanctify our secret life. These are warning words against your evil secret life. 

3.  Come to 2 Kings 20:1: Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover." Hezekiah then knew that God had come to know about his secret life. He repented and prayed. Amoz then came back and said God had extended his life by another 15 years.

 When he was able to sanctify his life, God extended his life span.  

4.    Fr Nelson narrated an incident. Once a lady, with foul-smelling wounds came for a charismatic prayer retreat. After the retreat, she was admitted to the hospital from where she requested him to come and pray for her. When he went there, he understood her physical condition was very weak and struggled to sit in the room because of the intense bad odour from her festering wounds. She gave a long confession that lasted for 20 minutes. She told the priest about many secret deeds that she committed over several years --- things she had never disclosed so far. She repented. The he got a message from Jesus that she is being healed. After around 20 days, all her wounds were healed and she regained normal health.

  The message is simple: sanctify your secret life and God will shower His blessings. But you have committed several sins and still living with these sins. 

5. Lets turn to John 4:16: “Jesus told her (Samaritan woman), “Go, call your husband and come back.”  “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

 When Jesus revealed her secret life, she confessed. Jesus gave her a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

 Jesus makes it clear: Sanctify your secret life.

6. John 8:7 says: “When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” People who were about to throw stones at a prostitute were taken aback. Their hands went down, stones fell.

 Jesus revealed their secret life. They were all big-time sinners. The woman – Mary Magdalene – repented and turned to God. She became a new creation after the sanctification of her secret life.  

 In short, sanctification is a key process to achieve eternal life. We need to realize it before it’s too late.

       

Stand up, raise your hands and pray... we don't have faith

 When Rev Fr Lijo Brahmakulam started his bike on a Monday morning to rush for an urgent meeting, a man came running to him. “Father, please bless this rosary for me,” he told the father. “Can you come later? I’m urgently going somewhere… please come some other time,” Fr Lijo told that man.

 However, as the guy, a Hindu, was persistent, Fr Lijo got curious and sought an explanation. The story is something like this: his daughter couldn’t sleep in the night and she used to stay awake and cry. Almost a year ago, a priest gave him a blessed rosary for his daughter. Lo and behold, his daughter started sleeping well after wearing the rosary. However, two days ago, she lost this rosary and she was back to square one. She couldn’t sleep at night for two days. So an anxious father came running to the priest to get a rosary blessed for her.

 The bottom line is that a non-Christian believed in the power of a blessed rosary. A Hindu by religion, he had faith in the power of Jesus Christ. His faith worked a miracle for him. The power of Lord’s protection surrounded his daughter. When she lost the rosary, his daughter was bereft of this power.

 We Christians don’t have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. I have heard priests and pastors saying that non-Christians getting blessings and grace abundantly from Jesus. Christians attend numerous prayer meetings, worships, adoration, Holy Mass and wear rosary, but we hardly have any faith. There's no change in us. The result is that we don’t get blessings and grace from our Lord. There will be at least ten rosaries in a Catholic family. However, there’s no blessing and grace of Lord in that family. Why?

 Please read Luke 17:6:  Jesus replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.” We have little faith in Jesus. We don't take His presence seriously. That's the reason for sons and daughters going wayward and going out of the protective cover of Jesus Christ. They get into the trap laid by devil.

 Rev Fr Dominic Valanmanal, Director of Marian Retreat Centre, Anakkara, India, says, “it's time that we stand up and raise our hands, pray and seek His blessings. We don't do that. When we pray, we don't pray with faith." Both Fr Dominic and Fr Lijo ask faithful to raise their hands, day and night, and pray. You may be in a depressed state or facing a nervous breakdown. You may be unhappy over lot of things. Your children are going out of control. You are on the verge of losing your job... Whatever it's.  "You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book, says Psalms 56:8.

 God is listening. Not a drop of your tear will go waste. When the appropriate moment or situation comes, your prayers will be answered. You must have that faith and conviction. "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours," says  Mark 11:24.  Again, lets go James 1:6, "but when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."

 However, our problem is that we pray without any faith. Sometimes, our prayers are mechanical. For example, the family prayer in many Christian homes has become mechanical or as some kind of routine like brushing the teeth or taking bath. It's of no use. When you pray, pray seriously, stand up and raise your hands to heaven. No doubt, heaven will open up and you will get abundant blessings.  The answer to your prayer will be instant if you follow what Jesus tells us in Bible. God won't listen to your prayer if have enmity, revenge or jealousy to anybody. Leave all that aside, and make peace with your enemy.

 In Bible, we read about a religious leader named Jairus. His daughter was lying on her deathbed and so Jairus goes to Jesus and tells him about his situation. As soon as Jairus spoke his faith, Jesus was attracted by that faith and went with him. That's faith.
If you pray intensely and with faith, God will answer your prayers. In Mathew chapter 17, Bible tells us disciples were unable perform a miracle. "When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.” “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment. Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” says Mathew 17:14-19. Jesus then made the mustard seed comment.

 The fact is that if you have faith as much as the mustard seed, even you will be able to perform miracles that Jesus did. But we pray with several "ifs and buts". We do it mechanically as some kind of ritual. Pray with passion and devotion. Pray during day and night. Pray when everyone is asleep. It's also a way of walking with Jesus. It will help us in keeping devil at bay.
    
 

What about you? Are you ready for the mission?

 Every Christian man and woman has received a mission to help build up the Church. 
 What about you? It’s nobody else but Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church, who asked this question.
  

Pope, who is on a US visit, said fulfilling that responsibility will require "creativity in adapting to changed situations" and called for "a much more active engagement on the part of the laity."  The Pope’s words came during his homily at Mass celebrated with Bishops, Clergy and Religious in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia.
 The city is the final leg of his 6-day pastoral visit to the US and the venue for the Church’s World Meeting of Families.
  “This morning I learned something about the history of this beautiful Cathedral: the story behind its high walls and windows.  I would like to think, though, that the history of the Church in this city and state is really a story not about building walls, but about breaking them down,” Pope Francis said.  It is a story about generation after generation of committed Catholics going out to the peripheries, and building communities of worship, education, charity and service to the larger society.
   That story is seen in the many shrines which dot this city, and the many parish churches whose towers and steeples speak of God’s presence in the midst of our communities.  It is seen in the efforts of all those dedicated priests, religious and laity who for over two centuries have ministered to the spiritual needs of the poor, the immigrant, the sick and those in prison. “And it is seen in the hundreds of schools where religious brothers and sisters trained children to read and write, to love God and neighbor, and to contribute as good citizens to the life of American society.  All of this is a great legacy which you have received, and which you have been called to enrich and pass on,” Pope Francis said.
  He spoke about the story of Saint Katharine Drexel, one of the great saints raised up by the local Church. 
  When she spoke to Pope Leo XIII of the needs of the missions, the Pope – he was a very wise Pope! – asked her pointedly: “What about you?  What are you going to do?”  Those words changed Katharine’s life, because they reminded her that, in the end, every Christian man and woman, by virtue of baptism, has received a mission.  Each one of us has to respond, as best we can, to the Lord’s call to build up his Body, the Church, he said. 
 What about you? “I would like to dwell on two aspects of these words in the context of our particular mission to transmit the joy of the Gospel and to build up the Church, whether as priests, deacons, or members of institutes of consecrated life,” Pope said. 
  First, those words (What about you?) were addressed to a young person, a young woman with high ideals, and they changed her life. They made her think of the immense work that had to be done, and to realize that she was being called to do her part.  How many young people in our parishes and schools have the same high ideals, generosity of spirit, and love for Christ and the Church!  Do we challenge them?  Do we make space for them and help them to do their part? ... to find ways of sharing their enthusiasm and gifts with communities, above all in works of mercy and concern for others?  Do we share our own joy and enthusiasm in serving the Lord?” Pope Francis said.
   One of the great challenges facing the Church in this generation is to foster in all the faithful a sense of personal responsibility for the Church’s mission, and to enable them to fulfill that responsibility as missionary disciples, as a leaven of the Gospel in our world, he said. This will require creativity in adapting to changed situations, carrying forward the legacy of the past not primarily by maintaining our structures and institutions, which have served us well, but above all by being open to the possibilities which the Spirit opens up to us and communicating the joy of the Gospel, daily and in every season of our life, Pope said.
  “What about you?” It is significant that those words of the elderly Pope were also addressed to a lay woman. “We know that the future of the Church in a rapidly changing society will call, and even now calls, for a much more active engagement on the part of the laity.  The Church in the United States has always devoted immense effort to the work of catechesis and education. Our challenge today is to build on those solid foundations and to foster a sense of collaboration and shared responsibility in planning for the future of our parishes and institutions,” he said.
  This does not mean relinquishing the spiritual authority with which we have been entrusted; rather, it means discerning and employing wisely the manifold gifts which the Spirit pours out upon the Church.  In a particular way, it means valuing the immense contribution which women, lay and religious, have made and continue to make, to the life of our communities. 
 Pope thanked everyone for the way in which they answered Jesus’ question which inspired their own vocation: “What about you?” “I encourage you to be renewed in the joy of that first encounter with Jesus and to draw from that joy renewed fidelity and strength. I look forward to being with you in these days and I ask you to bring my affectionate greetings to those who could not be with us, especially the many elderly priests and religious who join us in spirit,” he said.
  “During these days of the World Meeting of Families, I would ask you in a particular way to reflect on our ministry to families, to couples preparing for marriage, and to our young people.  I know how much is being done in your local Churches to respond to the needs of families and to support them in their journey of faith. I ask you to pray fervently for them, and for the deliberations of the forthcoming Synod on the Family,” Pope said.

Pope Francis in the United States

Pope Francis greets Sister Marie Mathilde, 102 years old, at the Jeanne Jugan Residence in Washington, D.C., Sept. 23, 2015. Photo courtesy of the Little Sisters of the Poor

Pope Francis on Thursday (24th September) made history by becoming the first Pope ever to address a joint session of the United States Congress

Pope gives impromptu greeting to crowds in Washington Mall

U.S. President Barack Obama and Pope Francis walk through the colonnade prior to an Oval Office meeting on September 23, 2015

Get out of that pigsty, repent and return to the house

 "Its better if my son dies," said a parent. He thinks that his wayward son is a burden to the family and society. 

 Even brothers and sisters also talk among themselves: "it's better if he/she dies.  Why should he/she live in this manner?" Why do they say this? He or she is living in the same way as the prodigal son (Bible parable) lived in the pigsty. They don't want to see him or her living in such miserable and sinful environment. 

 Yes, we human beings talk in this manner, but our God doesn't say anything like this about a person. God doesn't want a person to be destroyed or trapped by Devil. God waits. He has lot of patience. He's waiting for the lost son to come back. He led a sinful life, but God waits patiently to see the return of the prodigal son. True, he left my house, but God is waiting for his return.

 People who keep away from God are the ones who lost their wisdom. God is eager that people should get the wisdom back. These thoughts are from Rev Fr Mathew Peruvelil.  
   
 God loves everyone. When we come to the parable of the prodigal son, we know that the prodigal son did a stupid thing. He took his share of wealth from the father and left for a distant place. He secured his entire share from the father and there was nothing left out. When we read the Bible we know that what he did was a folly. The prodigal son thought he can live a good life without any control. There was no one to caution or warn him against doing anything wrong or sinful. He destroyed his wealth slowly and steadily. When he was losing wealth, he didn't care to think how he would survive when he becomes totally bankrupt.

 This prodigal son left a prosperous house -- a house which did not face shortage. He slowly slipped into a troubled state of living once he stepped out of his father's prosperous house. He didn't know what was happening to him. Actually this prodigal son was throwing away all the good things that God had given him. He faced only failures, unhappiness and losses when he left his father's house. Finally he lost everything that his father had given as his share. Then there was a big famine in the region and he found it tough to survive the famine. He approached another man for a job and he was given the task of looking after pigs. The prodigal son wasn't told or given any assurance about the food. Hungry without any food, he desired to have the food which was given to pigs. His impecunious state then reached its peak.

 Then he told himself: I will go back to may father's house. His father's servants were living a good life with good food. The waste in his father's house is thrown into the pigsty. There's no shortage in his father's house.

 The wisdom about going back to his father's dawned on him quite late. When he fell into bad times, the Holy Spirit gave him the idea of going back to his father's house. When we sin and turn away from God, we leave all the blessings and grace showered by God in our lives like the way the prodigal son left his father's prosperous house and eventually lost everything. "When we wallow in sin, we plunge to new depths of sorrows, unhappiness and a miserable life. This is the state of a man who sins. When he sins, he loses all blessings, grace and all the fruits of Holy Spirit and become like the prodigal son. When he sins again and again, his sinful life leads him to new lows of misery and spiritual poverty," Rev Fr Peruvelil said in a television talk.

 When we sin again and again, the Spirit of God may give us a thought: like the prodigal son got the late wisdom, in our father's house everyone is prosperous and happy. There's no shortage there. God is calling out to come back to His house and regain the blessings that we lost by sinning repeatedly. "The house that I left, in my father's house, there's blessing and grace. That's a life of happiness and without any complaints. A life of prosperity. I had left that prosperous house once. I got stuck like a lamb in the thorns. The thorn of sins gives me wounds. Many of these wounds become bigger and bigger and it becomes more painful," he said.

  "We must go back to our father's house. This return to the father's house is very important. After leading a sinful life, we must think about our father's good house... that I was born in a good house... I want to return to my father's house. It was a bad decision to leave my father's house. I lost all the blessings and grace," he said. When we return, we might think that we are not eligible to live in that house and we should ask our father to allow us as one of the servants. I have no right to go back and live in the house as I had left that home once with my share. I managed to lose everything once and I have no right to ask for more. My father never abuses or mistreats any servant in his house. I request my father to admit me as one of the servants.  

 Read Sirach 6:2-4:  "Do not let your passions carry you away; this can tear your soul to pieces like a bull. You will be left like a dead tree without any leaves or fruit. Evil desire will destroy you and make you a joke to your enemies." Yes, passions can leave you like a dead tree without any fruit or leaves. This is what happened to the prodigal son. This will happen to us when we get into a sinful life. Passions can tear your soul to pieces like a bull. When we violate the commandments of our Lord and sin against Him, our soul is being torn to pieces like a bull. So we should remain in the father's house. Once you go out of the father's house, the bull will tear your soul to pieces.

 Look at Sirach 17:24-26: "Yet to those who repent he grants a return, and he encourages those whose endurance is failing. Turn to the Lord and forsake your sins; pray in his presence and lessen your offenses. Return to the Most High and turn away from iniquity, and hate abominations intensely." We must return to our father's house. We can lead a prosperous and happy life in our father's house. When we confess our sins and reconcile with the father, he will welcome us with open arms. In fact, God is calling us back. He loves us. "He's waiting for us to return. As we read in the parable of prodigal son, the father will run to us and embrace us. He will ask his servants to give us food, ring, clothes and a good bath. He will bring us to the original position -- the position before we left him, abandoned him. Actually we go back to the father seeking a servant's job, but the father gives more. He will reinstate us to the original position. He will raise us back to the position of his son," Rev Fr Peruvelil said. 

 This happened because the father is a loving person. It's not because the prodigal son deserved or wanted it.
 Isaiah 1:18 says: "Come now, let us settle the matter," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."
Our life was very bad. We led a sinful life. Come back to Lord. Then Lord will make you as white as snow though your sins are like scarlet. Are you in a mess created by sins? Don't worry. We will settle the matter, says the Lord. 

 Get rid of your old lifestyle, a life covered by sins. Get out of pigsty. When Israelites went wayward, God still loved them. God doesn't want to lose a single person. He doesn't forsake any sinner. God never wants anyone to go away from Him. There will be big happiness in heaven when a sinner repents.