Thursday, October 1, 2020

The Feast of Guardian Angels

 

Exo. 23: 20-23

Mt 18: 1-5,10

Today we celebrate the feast of Guardian angels. The word Angel comes from Greek word aggelos which means messenger. We have been taught from our child hood that everyone has a guardian angel.  They are appointed by God to  protect us and guide us for eternal life. As we celebrate the feast of Guardian angels we pray to God that we feel their presence in our lives...there are times when we were protected by our guardian angels but never acknowledged. Yesterday I was telling you that we are the messenger of peace. Today the messenger is the angel. Can we be guardian angel to each other. The angel brings good news, protects and guides one to attain eternal life.

To participate worthily in Holy Eucharist, we ask pardon form God.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

The first reading is all about the angel. The first reading ends with : if you listen to what  he says and fulfill what I say to you, I will be enemy of your enemies. ...and so on...this is the assurance God gives us that he is always with us but he never forces... it is our free choice whether to be with Him or without Him.

In the Gospel Jesus speaks about a little child. A child is vulnerable. Those who are innocent, weak in the society physically and economically  are like a child who are  taken for a ride. Jesus warns us today not to despise one of these little ones.

Let's ask to oneself ; Have I ever neglected the vulnerable around me?

May God bless us with his words.

Saint Therese of Child Jesus

Today we  celebrates the feast of St. Therese of Child Jesus. She was born on 2nd January 1873 in a devout family. At the age of 15 she was admitted in Convent. She was favored by signal grace/ extraordinary grace, and advanced rapidly  and constantly in Holiness, so that at the age of 22 she was appointed novice mistress.

o   A child like simplicity

o   utter humility

o   constant self sacrifice

o   And a boundless love of God and trust in him were some of her most outstanding virtues.

She died young at the age 24, she neither had much education nor stepped outside her convent, yet, she is honored by the church as a doctor of the church, as one who understood the great mysteries of God and taught them to the world.

She is known for her little way,  which means doing even the smallest things with great love.

As we remember and celebrate  her feast we ask through her intercession that we may imbibe some of her good qualities and do our assigned works with great love for God.

To partake in today's Holy banquet worthily we cleanse ourselves by asking pardon from God for the sins committed.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today's reading reminds us that We all of us are messenger of peace.

Am I peaceful within to share peace with others. We visit families, friends and relatives, do I greet them with peace or before I leave their home do I pray for God's blessings on them.

I can give you only what I have.

Jesus is the King of peace we ask the blessings from him in this holy Eucharist that we will be a channel of peace in the world. May God bless us with his words.

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

The feast of St. Jerom, Ignorance of the Scripture is ignorance of Christ

 

Today the catholic church remembers St Jerom, a confessor and doctor of the Church. He was born in yugoslovia in the year 341 and died on 30th September 420. He studied in Rome and then travelled for years in a passionate search for Kowgledge.

After his ordination in he went to Rome and served the pope for five years as secretary and revised the Bible. He translated some of the books of old testament newly from Hebrew and Aramic.

1. These are some of his sayings: the reading of Holy Scriptures should follow upon prayer and prayer in turn should follow reading."

2. Ignorance of the Scripture is ignorance of Christ.

3. Always be doing something, so that whether God or the devil comes to you, you may be found with your hands full.

Today as we remember him we ask though his intersession that we may have interest in reading the bible so to know Jesus more in our life for whom we have dedicated our whole life.

In order to participate worthily in this Holy Eucharist we ask pardon from God for our sins.

 

Dear Friends after listening to the readings of today we can reflect upon our lives and ask, do I make any excuse to fulfill the will of God. We all of us are working for one cause that is to establish kingdom of God. Without prayer and meditation our focus seems to be deeming. We forget who and what we are. We are just like the man who is ploughing the field looking behind.

Though this holy Eucharist we ask the grace of God that we will be faithful in establishing the kingdom of God where ever we are.

Tuesday, September 1, 2020

Miss Archana Soreng, Advisory Member of Climate Change, UN


 

Miss Archana Soreng, just 24 years old, young, vibrant, tribal Climate Researcher, who hails from kharia tribe, Catholic Diocese of Rourkela, from the district of Sundargarh, in Odisha. What she is today no doubt is the fruit of her hard work but she also owes much to her noble parents and grandparents who were her mentors, motivators and source of inspiration and her dreams. Her father, Lt. Mr. Bijay Kumar Soreng, was a pious deeply religious prominent Catholic Lay Leader, former president of Rourkela Diocese Catholic Mahasabha for two terms, tribal social reformer, educationalist, the former Principal of Gangpur College of Social Works. Her mother similarly, a pious religious Prominent Tribal Catholic Lay woman Leader, was the President of Rourkela Diocese Catholic Mahila Sangh for two terms, an educationalist, a teacher in St. John Mary Vianney English Medium School where Archana began her schooling. Her parents and grandparents being inspiration and role models,raised her daughter Miss Archana Soreng with vision and dreams deeply rooted in Catholic faith and Tribal Culture with good education in Catholic Schools. After her higher Secondary Education from Carmel School, Rourkela, she obtained her bachelor degree from Women’s College Patna and Master’s from Tata Institute of Social Science, Mumbai. During her studies she was in YCS, ICUF as well as, she was the former president, of TISS students’ Union, and was the former National Convener, of tribal Commission at Adivasi Yuva Chetna Manch; She had participated in, 66th Session of Committee of Economic Social Cultural Rights in Geneva, UN Head Quarters, on the theme “Land and International Covenant, on Economic Social Rights”;and also participated in United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) COP 14 held in India in September 2-13, 2019, where she was part of the Youth Dialogue with the Executive Director of UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) & UNCCD.

She has been the active member of Youth NGOs i.e. (YOUNGO), the International Youth Climate Movement which is the official youth Constituency of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). She is also a member of Adivasi Drishyam, a platform to document, preserve and promote the history, culture and practices of these indigenous forest dwelling communities. She is currently based at Bhubaneswar and working as Research Officer for Vasundhara (Odisha), an Action research, and policy advocacy organization, working on Natural Resources Governance, Conservation, Sustainable Livelihoods, Tribal Rights and Climate Justice. She has been interacting with the indigenous communities of Odisha and India, and understanding and documenting, the traditional and conservational knowledge and practices, of these communities, and highlighting their contribution in climate action.

We feel proud of her and are confident that she will shoulder the responsibility assigned by UN with efficiency and wisdom born of deep faith in God who has created the adorable beautiful flourishing and life giving creation, and entrusted to human beings to preserve and protect it for enhancing life; and moreover she is rooted in Tribal life, Culture and traditions that preserves, protects and promotes environment and nature,apt for combating Climate Crisis today.We wish her God’s blessings in her mission to UN.