Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Monday, December 28, 2015
Thursday, December 24, 2015
A Christmas story, in a Sal forest
JD communalism
combat 24 December 2015
A Christmas story,
in a Sal forest
John Dayal
Let me tell you a
Christmas story about a little baby boy. In fact two little boys.
They were born in a
forest, watched perhaps from the shadows by birds and animals, and this virgin Sal forest in the
hills of Kandhamal in central Orissa has everything from deer and foxes to
tigers and all the way up to elephants. Could be a scene straight out of a cinema
reinterpretation of the Nativity in the Gospels of the New Testament.
The four Gospels of
Mathew, mark, Luke and John document the life and times of Emmanuel, God with
us, but more universally known as Jesus the Christ. Jesus, as every child has
been told, was born in a Manger, the wooden or earthen tub in which fodder is
kept for cows in the shed, or gowshala, in the town of Bethlehem where his
parents had to stop suddenly because of Mother’s labour pains. Mary and her betrothed
Joseph were on their way to Jerusalem, their ancestral town, to register
themselves in a government census ordered by Cesar, the Emperor of what was
then known of Western civilisation. But for these orders, Jesus could well have
been born in the gown of Nazareth, some distance away, where Joseph worked as a
skilled carpenter.
Circumstances
ordered by government and nature has made Bethlehem famous in history. Jesus
was born there one winter, fixed rather arbitrarily by later kings and their
astronomers as the night of 24th December of the Gregorian calendar.
All very complicated. There are no reindeers in Bethlehem, it never really
snows in December, but there are all sorts of trees, even sheep and shepherds,
even now. Alas, too many soldiers, policemen, the occasional battle tank, and
all too much barbered wire in the rolling countryside.
The Kandhamal
forests are now well known in the Christian history of India, which began in
Kerala a few years after the crucifixion of Jesus in Jerusalem. It too sees
lots of policemen and their military vehicles, hunting not for animals but for
political extremists who too are armed. They kill each other all too often.
Other people also
kill, and burn houses, and hunt for men, women and children, even on Christmas
Eve.
This is what
happened on the eve of Christmas 2007 when targetted violence broke out. I was
there within a few days to record and report, but this is not the time to speak
of the violence. One can always Google the details, though the judicial
commission headed by Justice Panigrahi appointed to investigate the violence is
still a long way finalising its report. Ironically, Justice Naidu, who filled
in for Justice Mahapatra who was asked to probe the large scale targetted
violence against Christians in August 2008 but who died before he could write his document, filed his
report this week. This happens.
Just story is just
of the two children who share a birthday with Jesus the Christ.
Close to
the tip of the Kandhamal district is the village of Ulipadar, a part of
Bamnigaon, inconsequential and insignificant as most villages in backward
Orissa are. In this village lived two women who had come here on their
marriage. One was 26-year-old Muktimeri
Parichha. Both were heavily pregnant, and were expecting a safe delivery at home
or a small dispensary and clinic some kilometres away, which is run by Catholic
nuns.
But the violent mob
reached them before the labour pains had started. The village folk ran into the
forests to save their lives, these two pregnant young women among them, helped
by others who half carried them up the hills. Back in the village, the mob
pillaged and burnt the houses.
The two babies were
born soon thereafter. The mad rush for dear life had perhaps triggered the
labour. Later they told me there was no cloth to wipe the babies clean. The
mother’s dhotis were torn in half, one half for the woman, the other half to
swaddle the newborn. Quite out of the Gospels, where the Magi and the kings of
the east were to find the Baby swaddled in clothes. On a second visit later, I saw the babies,
healthy and smiling. Both had been given names, which could roughly mean
beloved of Jesus, or bhaktas of Jesus, to use a word now very popular. The
Children are growing well, I am happy to report. Justice for the victims of the
violence is another thing altogether.
Christmas in India
means many things, and like language, micro culture and folk art, changes every
hundred kilometres or so. And it is a heady, ever changing mixture of the
local, vernacular folklore and food and dress habits and imports of the last
thousand years, from the west and the east.
There was Christmas
in India before the Portuguese came and brought in the new songs of the Birth
and the Joy and Hope of the salvation it promised. The Jingle Bells and carols
came later, with the Dutch, the French and British, the generic term used as a
coverall for soldiers and civilians from England, Scotland, Wales and north
Ireland. There is also a dash in the hot pot from Switzerland, Spain, Italy,
Armenia, and a huge dollop from countries of the Mid East and the Far East,
from Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, a hint of Egypt, and just a trace of
China.
Born of southern
stock, I grew up in the extreme north, in Srinagar, Shimla and Dehradun, the
hills and foothills of the mighty Himalayas, before coming to Delhi. My wife
grew up in Travancore, in what is now Kerala.
We celebrate in a
complex, but lively mix or traditions that trace roots in the Syrian oriental
ritual tradition as well as in the more Anglicized way seen in films and
television shows. But we know that the Christians of the North eastern States,
the many tribes in their homes in the Hills of Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and
Meghalaya dip deep into their own culture and folk traditions, while accepting
the best of the music that the west has to offer. Some daring young one will
have an occasional choir number, which could reflect something they heard of
Bhangra pop. It is the joy that is important. And Gujarati Christmas will be
incomplete without Christmas Garba dance by the beautiful girls and women.
So it can be a mix
if plum pudding, and walnut cake, roast pork and fried beef as much as it can
be pilaf and biryani, kebabs and gujiyas, shakar paras and appams and stew,
often at the same feast – what with these cross cultural and cross
denominational marriages that the young so love and he occasions bishop
decries.
The midnight Mass
may not be entirely traditional, and is certainly more popular among the
Catholics, the High church protestant episcopalians and the Oriental or Syrian
Orthodox traditions, some more urban than rural – to do with issues if
illumination and transport, I presume. But there is always a Sunday morning
service for the laggards and those who go to bed early in the cold.
The wine, the mulled
beer, the eggnogs or the single malts are optional. Alcohol can be a strict
No-No is several denominations.
But Christmas is not
really to be celebrated in five star hotels or in the large dhabas that have
sprouted up in the last 30 years or so along highways and low ways. It is time
for family, and friends. And to marvel that a little baby could mean so much to
so many so many millennia later.
As a Prince of
peace.
Christmas is about
peace, and love.
And the hope that no
one has to be born in a forest to a young, very frightened woman fleeing for
her life, because the government failed her. Or to be a refugee in a tiny boat
far away from home.
And it not spelled
as X-Mas. It is Christmas.
Merry Christmas, my
friends
--
John Dayal
www.johndayaTuesday, December 22, 2015
Monday, December 21, 2015
The trigger in the heart - Why suicides among religious in the Church?
Final Cut
The trigger in the heart
John Dayal
I have a close relationship with the Church in India,
across denominations, regions, languages, ethnicities. And though I came back
to the church just about three decades ago, I have been blessed with unprecedented
access to all echelons of the Christian community in the country, from the four
Cardinals, the many Catholic and protestant Bishops, across religious and
diocesan clergy and women religious. I have met them in their homes, in
confidence, and in the public arena, travelled with them in deep forests and in
the midst of violence, seen them in their glory on their academic and medical
institutions, and admired their courage in the face of aggression and
temptation. It is therefore not difficult for me to stand for them, and write
and speak for them, when they are the victims of calumny and hostility,
manufactured allegations and malicious barbs. In fact, I often articulate my
love for the Nuns and priests, the evangelists and itinerant pastors, some of
who second generation who have never had the benefit of long years in
seminaries and Bible schools, and perhaps have not even been baptised in a manner that would be acceptable to most of
us, but who have an abiding Faith in Christ and a deep personally felt experience
of the salvation He assures.
If this makes me aware of their humanity and spirituality,
it also makes me privy to their human
nature, their anxieties, fears, weaknesses and often enough, their struggles
with personal devils that seek to tempt them, or possess them. I am
sure the Superiors and heads of congregations and dioceses, who were once
themselves once young, are equally aware of this, though I am not sure how much
are the men and women in the church reaching out to their spiritual siblings in
distress or in need of a receptive and generous ear. The formal Confessional
does not suffice.
I am therefore deeply distressed at a very personal, core
level when I hear of a Woman Religious, a Nun, committing suicide, or once in a
while, a clergyman or seminarian. I
brush aside insinuations of criminality, or allegations of murder. Police and
internal enquiries are the instruments
of justice in such cases, and murderers eventually are traced more often than
not. I will therefore not talk of the sordid
affairs in the archdiocese of Bangalore which is beset with linguistic and
ethnic rifts that echoes the violent fault lines in the Indian nation. There
can be no defence, and no air-brushing
of criminality, even though one priest’s
death, and the arrest of several of his brother-clergy in the crime, is a strong reason for a deep investigation
by Rome into what is happening in South India. The continuance of Caste in many
other dioceses deserves a similar forensic enquiry.
But a suicide is a
very different matter, in the secular everyday world, or in cloisters, convents
and clergy homes. An old friend once said:
“In a suicide, all of us are guilty”.
India has perhaps over 125,000 women religious, and a quarter that of
male clergy. The non-Catholic church in the country may perhaps have more than
200,000 clergy of various levels of theological education, but as a deep a
commitment. The vocation regions, and reasons, have changed over the decades,
shifting from the west coast across sought and central India to now reach the
extreme north eastern districts of the country. Educational standards have
risen sharply. And for those interested in social action, working in India’s
developing society beset with economic, caste and gender inequity offers a tremendous and very satisfying challenge.
But, as in civil society across religions and economic
strata, there are recesses of the mind, and the soul, which remain in ferment,
sometimes in a state of torture. While in a family, a teenager or even an adult
with signs of distress will be taken to a hospital and assessed by a
psychologist or a psychiatrist, such care is possibly not available to those in
religious orders.
There is also, perhaps, a loosening of the bonds that once
knit religious communities together, a
natural process which aggravates with the passage of time, and the
advancing of age and the consequent accumulation of tensions of many kinds. Or
external triggers.
Whatever be the reasons, it is time for those in charge,
the Superiors and the Superiors General, to singly and collectively start
a process of deep examination and
assessment, taking help from experts in the secular world, to assess and
address this issue.
The torsions and pressures on the mind remain unseen, and
are more difficult to address that issues of moral turpitude which grab the
headlines, or the impact of persecution which unfortunately is such a reality
too in India.
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Thursday, December 17, 2015
4th week of advent 2015
Judges 13: 2-7, 24-25a
Lk 1: 5-25
Our Mission
Today
we are invited to reflect on the experience of these great men and
women mentioned in the first reading as well as in the gospel
In
the first reading from the book of Judges, Manoah and his wife were
barren and had no children. Similarly in the gospel of Luke, Zechariah
and Elizabeth were also barren and childless. Although, the two couples
were righteous in the eyes of God, observing all the commandments
blamelessly, being childless is considered a curse for the Jew at that
time even until now. However it turns into a blessing because the birth
of Samson and John the Baptist were part of God’s plan to save humanity.
Both Samson and Baptist had to share in the mission. This is what the
angel said to Mary “ Behold Elizabeth your relative, has also conceived a
son in her old age and this is the sixth month for her who is called
barren, for nothing is impossible for God”.( Luke 1: 36-37)
The
mission of Samson was to deliver the people of Israel from the power of
the Philistines (Judges 13:5). How about John the Baptist? God assigned
John the Baptist a mission to fulfill: turning many children of Israel
to their Lord and preparing a people fit for the Lord. (Luke: 1; 17)
Each
and every one of us also has our own mission in life as a Catholic. At
this moment let us reflect and sincerely ask ourselves what mission God
wants you and me to fulfill as we prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ.
I
believe that we will only discover our true mission when we take time
to come to the Holy Eucharist, listen to the Word of God and let His
Word and Body transform us. Then and only then, will we be able to love
and live out our mission in our daily life, in the family, and the work
place as well. How? By sharing with others what we have felt and
experienced in the holy Eucharist not only by words but first and
foremost by our life testimony of loving and giving. This is our
mission- to know Christ and to make Him known to others in our own way
and in our own places.
What is our mission in life?
The
day of the Christmas pageant finally arrived. Kaitlin was so excited
about her part. The parents were all there to watch the performance of
their children. At the edge of the stage, Kaitlin sat quietly and
confidently. Then the teacher began: “A long time ago, Mary and Joseph
had a baby and they named him Jesus”. She continued, and when Jesus was
born, a bright star appeared over the manger”. At that cue, Kaitlin got
up, picked up a large star, walked behind Mary and Joseph and held the
star up high for everyone to see. When the teacher told about the
shepherds coming to see the baby, the three young shepherds came
forward, and Kaitlin jiggled the star up and down excitedly to show
them. When the wise men responded to their cue, Kaitlin went forward a
little to lead the way. Her face was as brilliant as the original star
must have been. The play ended. On the way home Kaitlin said with great
satisfaction, “I had the main part.” You did? Her mother questioned,
wondering why she thought that. “Yes, she said, because I showed
everybody how to find Jesus”.
How
true! To show others how to find Jesus, to be the light of their
paths- that is the greatest role and mission we can play in life. Are we
true to our mission of showing others how to find Jesus?
Fr. Martin Kuzhivelil CMI
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Monday, December 14, 2015
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Friday, December 11, 2015
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Saturday, October 24, 2015
Thursday, October 22, 2015
DUSSEHRA: INTERNALISING AND DOING GOOD!
DUSSEHRA: INTERNALISING AND DOING GOOD!
-Fr. Cedric Prakash sj*
Dussehra
(Vijaya Dashami) is once again here and will be celebrated with traditional
pomp and gaiety all over the country. It is a moment for every Indian to
spend some time reflecting on the significance of the festival and ask
ourselves whether we have truly internalised the meaningful values which this
great festival embodies.
On Dussehra,
we celebrate the triumph of good over evil; of how Lord Ram defeats the demon
king Ravan who typifies all that is evil.
India’s great epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata provide us with gripping
narratives of the festival.
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We need to
look around today to see how the forces of evil seem to have plunged a deadly
weapon into the heart of India: in Faridabad two innocent dalit children are
burnt alive by the higher castes; in Dadri, a man is lynched because of some
rumours that he ate beef; in Mumbai, a motley group of Shiv Sainiks violently
hold the State to ransom and prevent the improving of relations with
Pakistan; intellectuals like Pansare, Dabholkar and Kalburgi, who demonstrate
courage to take on right-wing forces, are killed; human rights defenders who
take a stand against powerful vested interests on behalf of the minorities,
the dalits, the adivasis are subject to constant harassment; Godse, the one
who killed Mahatma Gandhi, is ‘honoured’; women continue to be on the
receiving end of a male chauvinistic society (‘Ram’ no longer wants to
protect and save ‘Sita’ today); children are not spared: if not sexually
abused, several of them are condemned to hard labour; one can go on and on, ad
nauseam.
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There is a
silver lining though: several of India’s top intellectuals which include litterateurs,
historians, poets, sociologists, journalists and others have visibly and
vocally stood up against the forces of evil. These are citizens with impeccable
credentials which include a high degree of credibility, objectivity and
impartiality. Several of them have had
the courage to return Government awards and recognitions which were
well-deserved; but they do so only because they conscientiously feel that the
Constitutional rights (particularly freedom of speech and expression) are
today being grossly violated.
Dussehra then,
this year, should be a special moment of grace for all Indians, when one is
called in no uncertain terms to take the side of good, of truth and of justice
against the forces of evil, that are making every attempt to destroy all that
is sacred to the people of India. One can no longer think that dealing with
these forces of evil is the prerogative of just a few; every right-thinking
Indian citizen needs to wake up at this moment and to remind ourselves that “the only thing necessary for the triumph
of evil, is for good men to do nothing”.
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Sunday, October 18, 2015
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Bhakti-Sufi Traditions: Uniting Humanity - Ram Puniyani
Bhakti-Sufi Traditions: Uniting
Humanity
Ram
Puniyani
In contemporary times, religions’ identity is being
used as cover for political agenda. Be it the terrorist violence or the
sectarian nationalism in various parts of the World, religion is used to mask
the underlying politics. While one was talking of separation of religion and politics
many decades earlier, the times have been showing the reverse trends, more so
in South Asia. Globally one came across the news that American President sent
a chador [a ceremonial sheet of cloth] to the annual
observation at the shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti at Ajmer. (April 2015).
Later one also read (April 22, 2015) that
Sonia Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpeyi, and Narendra Modi has also offered chadors
at the shrine.
Keeping the relation
between state, politics and religion apart, it is interesting that some
traditions within religion have appeals cutting across the religious
boundaries. The Sufi and Bhakti tradition in Pakistan-India, South Asia are two
such humane trends from within Islam and Hinduism respectively, which harp more
on unity of humanity as a whole overcoming the sectarian divides. The saints from
these traditions had appeal amongst people of different religions and they were
away from the centers of power, unlike the clergy which was close ally of the
rulers in medieval times. We have seen rich traditions of people like Kabir,
Tukaram, Narsi Mehta, Shankar Dev, Lal Dedh, clearly from within Hindu
tradition, while Nizamuddin Auliya, Moinuddin Chishti, Tajuddin Baba Auliya,
Ajan Pir, Nooruddin Noorani (also known as Nund Rishi) coming from a clear
Islamic Sufi tradition and Satya Pir, Ramdev Baba Pir, having a mixed lineage
where Bhakti and Sufi themselves are deeply intertwined.
Sant Guru Nanak did try a
conscious mixing of the two major religions of India, Hinduism and Islam. He traveled
up to Mecca to learn the wisdom of Islam and went to Kashi to unravel the
spiritual moral aspects of Hinduism. His first follower was Mardan and Miyan
Mir was the one who was respectfully invited to lay the foundations of Golden
Temple; the holy Sikh Shrine. The Guru Granth Sahib has an inclusive approach
to religious wisdom and it takes the verses from Koran, couplets from Kabir and
other Bhakti saints. No wonder people used to say of him ‘Baba Nanak Sant
Fakir, Hindu ka Guru Musalman ka Pir’ (Saint Nanak is sant for Hindus and pir
for Muslims)
In today’s scenario the
global discussion has been centered round religion due to its use in political
sphere. Now the renewed interest in Sufi tradition at one level is heartening. Sufism
has been prominent in South Asia from last ten centuries. Word Sufi means
coarse wool fabric, the type of clothes which were worn by Sufi mystics. It grew
within Shiaism but over time some Sunnis also took to this sect. It has strong streaks of mysticism and gave
no importance to rituals and tried to have understanding of God by transcending
the anthropomorphic understanding of Allah, looking at him more as a spiritual
authority. This is so similar to the
belief held by Bhakti saints also. Many Sufi’s had pantheistic beliefs and they
articulated their values in very humane way.
In the beginning the
orthodox sects started persecuting them but later compromises were struck. The
Sufis formed the orders of roving monks, dervishes. People of all religions in
many countries frequent their shrines, this again is like Bhakti saints, who
have following amongst people of different religions.
On parallel lines Bhakti
is probably the most outstanding example of the subaltern trend in Indian
religious history. The Bhakti saints came from different streams of society,
particularly from low caste. Bhakti opposed the institutionalization of
religion, tried to decentralize it, and declared that religion is a private
matter. It gave respectability to the separation of state power and religion
and merged the concept of God worship with the process of getting knowledge.
Travails of poor people are the focus of bhakti saints’ work. Bhakti traditions
gave respectability to many low castes. This tradition had inclusive approach
towards Muslims as well. This tradition posed a challenge to upper caste
hegemony.
Bhakti tradition
opposed the rituals, hegemony of elite of society. They adopted the languages
more popular with the masses. Also they talked of one God. In India in
particular Hindu Muslim unity has been one of the concerns expressed by many of
the saints from this tradition.
What one needs to
realize is that there are various tendencies with every religion. The humane
one’s as represented by Bhakti and Sufi are the ones’ which united Humanity and
harped on morality-spirituality of religions. The intolerant tendencies have
been usurped by political forces for their political agenda. In sub continent
during the freedom movement the declining sections of society, Rajas, Nawabs,
Land lords came up with Muslim and Hindu Communalism to begin with. This nationalism
in the name of religion had nothing to do with morality of religions. It was
use of religion’s identity for political goals.
In the national movements we had people like Gandhi, Maulana Abul Kalam
Azad who were religious but opposed to religious nationalism.
The essence of Sufi and
Bhakti tradition are reminders to us that spirituality, morality part of the
religion has been undermined in the current times. The inclusive-humane nature
of these traditions needs to be upheld and the divisive-exclusionary versions of
religions have to be ignored for better future of humanity.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Monday, April 27, 2015
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Friday, March 6, 2015
Article on MOTHER TERESA in DNA (Ahmedabad), 26 Feb. 2015, Pg2
‘Mother Teresa’s works of mercy were liberal actions’
In
March 1996, Mother Teresa was on a very special visit to Ahmedabad. The
then municipal commissioner of the city, Keshav Varma, made sure to
make her visit a memorable one. He also wrote a letter requesting the
then BJP mayor, Bhavna Dave, to accord a civic reception to Mother. Dave
flatly refused this. Varma then hosted a tea party in his official
bungalow for Mother inviting several eminent citizens of the city to
interact with her. Mayor Dave also dropped in. One of the Sanghis who
accompanied her directly asked Mother, “Why do you convert other people
to Christianity?” Very humbly and gently, Mother replied, “I have no
power to convert anybody; but if you wish to be converted, I will
certainly pray to Jesus and he will touch your life.” Of course, the man
was just dumbstruck!
More
than nineteen years after her death, Mother Teresa once again hogs the
headlines. Mohan Bhagwat, the RSS chief has gone on record to say that
Mother’s sole aim was “conversion”; the BJP spokeswoman Meenakshi Lekhi
adds her two bit saying that Mother was baptising even when she was on
her death bed! Such petty statements warrant no comment! Mother Teresa
is being very conveniently ‘used’ to draw attention away from several
serious problems that confront India today: be it the Land Acquisition
Ordinance, which has brought thousands of farmers onto the streets of
Delhi, or the swine flu which has reached epidemic proportions in
several parts of the country!
The ordinary citizen, however, needs to be reminded of the rich legacy, which Mother has left all; these include:
Courage to challenge the rich and the powerful
It
is common knowledge that Mother, at most times, ‘got what she wanted
and more’. She had that ability of creating discomfiture for certain
sections of society. She was not content with the ‘crumbs’ that fell off
their tables. She wanted the best (especially dignity) for the poorest
of the poor
Ability to be a bridge for a more humane society
Mother
was perfectly at ease with all sections of society. The rich and
powerful were unable to ‘co-opt’ her to their way of living; many of
them joined in her mission. Her unparalleled work proved to be a great
leveller. She had no qualms hobnobbing with dictators, as long as she
was able to touch their hearts and loosen their tight fists to give to
the poor
Commitment to compassion
Mother’s
works of mercy were liberal actions. A person who lies in a gutter: in
filth and in squalor - with a body that is maggot-ridden, hungry and
emaciated, needs just one thing: to be accepted with love as a human
being first; then a bath and hot wholesome food. Her compassion was
shown in deeds.
Humility in accepting her limitations
She
was often criticised of ‘spoiling the poor’; in her typical way she
used to quip, “I really can’t help it. That’s all I can do...perhaps you
are better, since you spoil the rich.” Or on another occasion when she
was accused of not addressing the root causes of injustice, she replied
“Well, I think you should be doing that...I am good at doing only this!”
It
was not without reason that Mother Teresa was given the Bharat Ratna,
the Nobel Peace prize and innumerable other awards from across the
globe. The likes of a Bhagwat or a Lekhi and their utterances will never
be able to dislodge the fact that she truly “converted” millions the
world over, not to Christianity, but to be able to do good to the poor
and the marginalised of our world. It is high time many of us accept
this CONVERSION!
In response
News Link : http://epaper.dnaindia.com/
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Mother Terea
Most Respected Bishops, Priests, Nuns, Religious and Friends in Christ.
Mr.Mohan Bhagwat said “Mother Teresa’s service would have been good. But it used to have one objective, to convert the person, who was being served, into a Christian,” while speaking at a function organised by NGO Apna Ghar.
Let us now recall what Mother Teresa said about conversions, in 1997 she told an AP reporter: "Of course I convert. I convert you to be a better Hindu or a better Muslim or a better Protestant. Once you’ve found God, it’s up to you to decide how to worship him"
And remember this story:
The Hindu priest at the Kali Temple were unhappy when Mother and her sisters began their work at Nirmal Hriday in Kalighat close to the Kali temple. The priest suspected/accused Mother Teresa of using her service for conversions.
One day Mother heard that one of the priest of the temple was dying of an infectious disease and nobody would touch him. She collected his emaciated body in her arms and brought him to her home.
The Hindu priest with folded hands said, “For thirty years I have worshipped the Goddess Kali in stone, but today the Goddess Mother stands before me alive”.
The same priest who had once suspected/accused Mother Teresa of conversion said “I saw Goddess Kali in Mother Teresa”,
As Mother Teresa said let us pray to God for the conversion of Sri.Mohan Bhagwat, to become a better Hindu.
For this purpose a peaceful prayer meeting has been organised in front of the Bangalore Town Hall on the coming Saturday the 28th February at 4.30 pm followed by a candle light vigil.
We request all the Parish Priests, Nuns, Religious and lay people of all walks, who have hurt at the insult of Mother Teresa to join in this public prayer meeting, mobilize your parishioners’ to come in large numbers, take personal initiatives to announce in churches during the Lenten services in churches, forward this message to your friends through E-Mails, Face book, Whatsup, etc. and express your Hurt about and Concern for, as Catholics.
All others churches and dioceses outside Bangalore in Karnataka and India may also conduct events on a similar line if possible on Saturday itself.
Thank you in Christ.
Best Regards,
Abraham T J
President - ICUF Indian Christian United Forum
Hyacinth Vaz
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Saturday, January 3, 2015
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