THE
NATIVITY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
Every year according to our Liturgical
Calendar, on June 24, we celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of John the
Baptist, the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth. St. Luke writes about Zechariah
and Elizabeth saying, “In the days of King Herod of Judea there lived a priest
called Zechariah who belonged to the Abijah section of the priesthood, and he
had a wife, Elizabeth by name, who was descendant of Aaron. Both were upright
in the sight of God and impeccably carried out all the commandments and
observances of the Lord. But they were childless: Elizabeth was barren and they
were both advanced in years” (Lk.1:5-7). They lived in a village known as Hebron
in the mountainous area of Judea. They were well to do, with a pretty house
surrounded by an orchard with a kitchen garden, olive grove and other fruit
trees. They were respected because of their uprightness and loved because of
their fraternal charity to everyone.
St. Luke tells us that when Zechariah
was in the Lord’s sanctuary and was burning the incense, the angel Gabriel
appeared to him and announced saying, “Your wife Elizabeth is to bear you a son
and you shall name him John... he will be great in the sight of the Lord...even
from the mother’s womb he will be filled with the Holy Spirit....he will go
before the Lord preparing a people fit for him” (Lk.1:13-17). Zechariah did not
believe in the message of the angel and was punished to be speechless till the
child was born.
When Mary greeted Elizabeth with an
embrace, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and with a deep salutation
exclaimed, “You are blessed amongst women! Blessed is the Fruit of Your womb!
How did I deserve that the Mother of my Lord should come to me, Your servant?
There, at the sound of Your voice, the child leaped out of joy in my womb and
when I embraced You, the Spirit of the Lord whispered deepest truths to my
heart. You have brought holiness to my son whom I feel leaping with joy, like a
happy little kid, in my womb, because he feels free from the burden of guilt,
and is called to be the predecessor, sanctified before Redemption by the Holy
One Who is growing within You!” Hearing Elizabeth’s inspired words, Mary raised
her face and hands to heaven and exclaims, “My soul proclaims the greatness of
the Lord” and continues the canticle as it has been handed down to us.
Elizabeth, a holy and humble woman deserved to understand the mystery that was
enclosed within Mary. The Spirit spoke to her through the child’s bouncing in
her womb. The Baptist pronounced his first speech, as the Announcer of the
Word, through the joy in his mother’s womb.
After Elizabeth gave birth to a boy
child, Zacharias, remembering the name given by the angel, wrote on a tablet:
“His name is John”, his tongue became free and filled with the Holy Spirit he
began to exclaim: “I did not believe the angel, but now I believe and the Light
is now in me. The Light is amongst us, but you do not see it. It is its destiny
not to be seen, because the souls of men are encumbered and idle, but my son
will see it, and will speak of It, and turn to It the hearts of the just in
Israel. Oh! Blessed are those who believe in It and will always believe in the
Word of the Lord. And blessed be You, O Eternal Lord, God of Israel, because
you have visited and redeemed Your people, and You have raised up for us a
powerful Saviour in the house of Your servant David”. And he continues the Benedictus given in St. Luke’s Gospel.
John the Baptist was the last and
greatest of prophets. As the forerunner of the Saviour, he prepared the Jews
for the advent of Christ. When Christ had come, St. John bore witness to him
and encouraged his own followers to follow him. In fact, St. John is more than
a prophet. He is the one of whom the scripture says, “Look, I am going to send
my messenger before you; he will prepare your way before you” (Mi 3:1). In him,
the Holy Spirit concludes his speaking through the prophets. He proclaims the
cycle of prophets begun by Elijah. He proclaims the imminence of the
consolation of Israel; he is the ‘voice’ of the Consoler who is coming. As the
Spirit of truth will also do, John ‘came to bear witness of the light’. In
John’s sight, the Spirit thus brings to completion the careful search of the
prophets and fulfils the longing of the angels: Lamb of God.
+Felix Toppo, S.J.
Bishop of Jamshedpur
THE
WORLD COMMUNICATION DAY
The World Communication Day was
celebrated on the Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord- Sunday, May 17, 2015. The
theme of this year’s World Communication Day was ‘Communicating the Family: A Privileged Place of Encounter with the Gift
of Love’. (A summary of Pope’s Message is given below.)
In the family, we learn to embrace and
support one another, to discern the meaning of facial expressions and moments
of silence, to laugh and cry together with people who did not choose one other
yet are so important to each other. More than anywhere else, the family is
where we daily experience our own limits and those of others, the problems
great and small entailed in living peacefully with others. A perfect family
does not exist. We should not be fearful of imperfections, weakness or even
conflict, but rather learn how to deal with them constructively. The family,
where we keep loving one another despite our limits and sins, thus becomes a
school of forgiveness.
When it comes to the challenges of
communication, families who have children with one or more disabilities have
much to teach us. A motor, sensory or mental limitation can be a reason for
closing in on ourselves, but it can also become, thanks to the love of parents,
siblings, and friends, an incentive to openness, sharing and ready
communication with all. It can also help schools, parishes and associations to
become more welcoming and inclusive of everyone.
In situations apparently dominated by
hatred and violence, where families are separated by stone walls or the no less
impenetrable walls of prejudice and resentment, where there seem to be good
reasons for saying ‘enough is enough’, it is only by blessing rather than
cursing, by visiting rather than repelling, and by accepting rather than
fighting, that we can break the spiral of evil, show that goodness is always
possible, and educate our children to fellowship.
Today the modern media, which are an
essential part of life for young people in particular, can be both a help and a
hindrance to communication in and between families. The media can be a
hindrance if they become a way to avoid listening to others, to evade physical
contact, to fill up every moment of silence and rest, so that we forget that
‘silence is an integral element of communication; in its absence, words rich in
content cannot exist’. The media can help communication when they enable people
to share their stories, to stay in contact with distant friends, to thank
others or to seek their forgiveness, and to open the door to new encounters.
The great challenge facing us today is
to learn once again how to talk to one another, not simply how to generate and
consume information. The family is a community which provides help, which
celebrates life and is fruitful. Once we realize this, we will once more be
able to see how the family continues to be a rich human resource, as opposed to
a problem or an institution in crisis. At times the media can tend to present
the family as a kind of abstract model which has to be accepted or rejected,
defended or attacked, rather than as a living reality.
This
year’s message calls on the faithful to see families as “a resource rather than
as a problem for society” and invites families to be examples of Christ’s love,
kindness and fellowship.
ST.
JOSEPH’S CATHEDRAL, GOLMURI
May 1st was indeed a remarkable day for the parishioners of St Joseph’s
Cathedral, Golmuri. The Parish Day was celebrated with lots of joy, pomp and
glory. The festivity began with the solemn Eucharistic celebration presided by
Ret. Rev. Bishop Felix Toppo, S. J. The cultural progaramme presented by the
parishioners at the Welfare Hall was appreciated by all. In Bishop’s message,
the story about the miraculous spiral staircase, attributed to have been built
by St. Joseph, inspired everyone present. On this event, many who have been the
back-bone of every development and various activities of the parish were
remembered and honoured. Frs. David Vincent, V.G., Camil, Michael Deogam, Edwin
and Jilson graced the occasion. Congratulations to Frs. Camil and Michael for
the successful Parish Day Celebrations.
VIRAL BONANZA
Many members of the Bishop’s House
Community were struck down by viral fever. The first one to be down and to be
admitted in the hospital was Fr. Jilson, as he returned from holidays. The next
one in queue was Fr. Johny Vithayathil. Though affected by fever, Fr. Edwin succeeded
in evading hospitalization. Thanks to Fr. Linus for the timely care and Sisters
of Mercy Hospital for their healing hands.
THE HOUSE FEAST OF MERCY CONVENT
The
House Feast of Mercy Convent was celebrated on 4th of May 2015.
Bishop Felix Toppo, SJ., all the neighboring priests and friends joined the
SCJM sisters in thanking the Lord in the solemn Eucharistic celebration for all the blessings that the Lord has been
showering upon them in their life and
ministry. Srs. Asha, Saroj, Stella and Roshni renewed their vows of their
consecrated life in the Congregation of Jesus, Mary and Joseph and submitted
their vows to Sr. Teresa, SCJM., the superior of the community, who represented
the provincial. A sumptuous meal was served for everyone present.
CONFIRMATION
AND PASTORAL VISITATION: KIRIBURU
May 10, 2015 will be inscribed in golden
letters in the annals of history of St Joseph’s Church, Kiriburu. It was indeed
a joyous day for the whole of Jamshedpur diocese as 167 members of Kiruburu
Parish were administered the sacrament of Confirmation, of whom 50 were adults.
The candidates of confirmation were from 6 units, namely, Kiriburu, Holonguli,
Chotanagra, Gua, Kudlibad and Karampada. They were prepared separately in their
own units for the reception of Confirmation and on the last three days all of
them were brought together in the Church and were given special instructions
and classes.
There was an aroma of joy and festivity
everywhere. The culmination of joy was at the Eucharistic celebration; the very
well-responses and the celestial choir added colours to the celebration.
Congratulations to Frs Sureesh and Ranjeet for making this event remarkable in
the history of St Joseph’s Church, Kiriburu.
ORDINATION
OF DEACON MARIA CHARLES
SILVER
JUBILEE OF FR. VALERIUS LAKARA, SDB
With grateful hearts to God, with a lot
of appreciation and love towards Fr. Valerius Lakara, the Christian Community
at Jhargo celebrated the Silver Ordination Jubilee of Fr. Valerius. On this auspicious
occasion, four children were administered the First Holy Communion. Bishop
Felix Toppo, the main celebrant at the Eucharistic celebration, congratulated
and thanked Fr Valerius for his dedication and selfless service and exhorted
the communicants about the invaluable gift of Holy Eucharist. Fr. Edward Dang,
the assistant parish priest, gave a small biography of Fr Valerius and anchored
the whole programme. The active participation and remarkable choir of the
people reinstated that how successful Fr. Valerius is in his ministry. A small
cultural programme followed the Eucharistic celebration. In his response, Fr.
Valerius requested the prayers of the people for everyone at the service of the
Lord. Frs. Vijay Bhatt, the former parish priest, Thobias Kujur, Dileep Marandi
and Jilson represented the diocese along with Fr. Edward, the Asst. PP, joined Fr. Valerius in thanking God
for the blessed 25 years of his service. A sumptuous meal was served for
everyone present.
LENDING A HAND OF RELIEF TO THE PEOPLE
IN NEED
Congratulation to all the youth for
their commendable effort as well as for bringing some relief to the
parishioners on a day when the temperature went beyond 44ยบ. Sincere thanks to
the parish priests and sisters for their support and encouragement. (Fr. Dileep
Marandi)
LANGUAGE COURSE AND SUMMER CAMP OF THE
BROTHERS
A summer camp followed the language
course. St. Mary’s Junior Block witnessed the zeal and vigour of our brothers
as they were instilled the rudiments of music and computers. Few sisters and lay people shared their
expectations and experiences with the brothers while the priests reminiscenced
their life as seminarians and gave guidelines for their formation. On the final
day, there was a friendly basket-ball match between the brothers and fathers in
which the seniors bet the youngsters. A cultural bonanza presented by the
brothers entertained everyone present. (Fr. Linus Kindo)
FR.
JILSON @ THE BISHOP’S HOUSE
With the new appointment, Fr. Jilson T L
has already taken over the offices of P.A., Secretary, Chancellor, and at the
marriage tribunal of the diocese from 11th May 2015. He has just
completed his licentiate in Canon Law from St. Peter’s Pontifical Institute,
Bangalore. Congratulations to Fr. Jilson and all the best wishes in his new
undertakings.
Contact No:08521608509; email id :
fr.jilson@gmail.com
BISHOP’S PROGRAMME, JUNE 2015
Please
Note:
Most Rev. Felix Toppo, S.J. has left
for U.S.A. He will be out of the Diocese from 18th May – 20th
June, 2015. In his absence Rev. Fr. David Vincent, the Vicar General, will
take care of the ordinary office of the Diocese.
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BIRTHDAY
BABIES - JUNE
Date
|
Name
|
16
|
Fr. Halan Bodra
|
24
|
Fr. Michael Jojo
|
30
|
Fr. Roque Cardoza
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