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"Nawodaya" project launched by the CODESEP Centre at Deniyaya to improve the community development service for plantations in the Southern Province Catholic Assembly has rendered a valuable service uplifting their living conditions, improving education, social economic and cultural activities during last three years, said Most Revd. Dr. Harrold Anthony Perera, Bishop of Galle.

The Bishop was speaking at the third anniversary celebrations of Nawodaya Project held at the Deniyaya Central College auditorium recently.

"Our aim is to uplift the plantation community as good and useful humanity of the society. To succeed this social hospitality the Belgium CARITAS has given more assistance, the Bishop said.

The Bishop said that the main aim of implementation of the Nawodaya Project to establish a confirmed peaceful society.

A cultural program organised by the (CODESEP) Community Development Services for plantations, diocese of Galle and a felicitation and prize distribution to outstanding personalities for their service to the plantation community were also held.

CAROTAS SED Galle Director Rev. Fr. Damian Arasakularatne Rev. Fr. Michael Rajendram, Co-ordinating Director of the Nawodaya project, Jurry Layzon, foreign Co-ordinator of CARITAS, Belgium A. P. Dayananda, Chairman of Kotapola Pradeshiya Sabha and Chumly de Silva, Vice Chairman of Kotapola PS also spoke.

Pope heads to Italian quake zone

Pope Benedict XVI headed Tuesday for central Italy's Abruzzo region to show his solidarity with the victims of an earthquake that claimed nearly 300 lives three weeks ago.

The pontiff set off by car to the region after bad weather nixed plans to travel by helicopter, the ANSA news agency reported.

Pope Benedict will stop first at the devastated village of Onna, where 40 of some 350 inhabitants died in Italy's worst earthquake in a generation.

Residents there will ask the pope to bless bells from a ruined church found in the rubble, the I.Media news agency reported.

He will then ride to the Abruzzo capital L'Aquila, the epicentre of the quake some 100 kilometres (60 miles) northeast of Rome.

Pope Benedict, who led Easter celebrations at the Vatican just six days after the earthquake, will stop at a dormitory where eight students died in the April 6 disaster.

Apart from the human cost, the earthquake also exacted a heavy toll on the medieval and Renaissance architecture that abounds in the Abruzzo region.

The pope will visit L'Aquila's Santa Maria di Collemaggio basilica that suffered serious damage in the disaster.

The church first built in the 13th century, already destroyed and rebuilt after an earthquake in 1703, is a major pilgrimage site as it houses the remains of the "hermit pope" Celestine V.

Celestine, a mountain recluse who was crowned pope in the basilica in 1294, resigned only a few months later in protest over corruption in the Roman Catholic Church, and has since been made a saint.

In homage to his humble predecessor, the pope will offer the woolen shawl or pallium he received when he was inaugurated as pontiff in 2005, reported I.Media, which specialises in Vatican affairs.

The pope will also visit the military academy where a mass funeral took place for 205 of the quake victims on April 10.

Last week Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi made the surprise announcement that the site has been chosen as the venue for a Group of Eight summit in July over the original choice of La Maddalena, an island off Sardinia.

Pope Benedict's predecessor Pope John Paul II visited the central Umbria region three months after twin earthquakes killed 12 people and caused serious damage to the famous Basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi in 1997. VATICAN CITY, Tuesday, AFP

Experience God in our hearts

I made you and I will care for you. Isaiah 46:4

The new Israel are the believers of today. Just as Israel was chosen people of God in the Old Testament, we are the chosen ones who bear Christ's name. In other words the Church who is the body of Christ can confidently receive every promise that God had given to Israel, in the name of Jesus. Therefore the above promise is for you, both individually, and, as the body of Christ.

As you read this promise, realize what the Creator of the Universe is saying to you - the all powerful One - God Almighty who is Omnipotent (all powerful), Omniscient (all knowing) and Omnipresent (present everywhere) is saying I made you and I will care for you. Is it not wonderful that we are receiving such an assurance from our Creator? Today, if you receive a letter from the President of the USA with his seal upon it and that letter states that you have been chosen to visit the USA and the he has sanctioned that all you need will be provided for, I am sure you will not doubt it but prepare yourself to receive this good fortune with all your heart. Some times it is easier to accept a promise on a physical level as you can touch and feel and put your five senses into action and you console and assure your mind that you can trust yourself to accept this.

When it comes to spiritual matters however, it is a different story. Your five senses including your common sense is unable to help you as these are mainly to help you to function in your physical realm. God is a Spirit and when we switch on to spiritual things the workings are very different. It is clearly stated in the Bible that there is one thing that God looks for in us, and that is to trust Him even though you cannot see it with your eyes or feel it with your senses. This is called FAITH and the Word of God says, it is impossible to please God if we do not have faith. In fact, God undoubtedly states that without faith you cannot even accept the fact that God created the universe by His spoken Word. (You find a good explanation of this in Hebrews chapter 11).

We will lose out a lot if we cannot take this in, and with the help of the Holy Spirit fully - comprehend this wonderful promise to us. If we are doubtful it is because we lack in faith and we must surely do something about increasing our faith. And not just turn away form such divine assurances given by our Creator to live a life that will reflect Him in us. For me these words show that I should not have a care in the world if I depend upon Him because the promise is coming from such a dependable person as God our Creator to whom everything is so easily accessible. My doubtful or fallen nature will always be suspicious as there is an evil one present whose one job is to plant doubtful seeds in my mind against God and His wonderful love and promises of assurances to help me. Therefore one must be aware of Satan's sly nature.

Yes, you must learn to receive this promise by Jehovah - for it to be effective - or else these are empty words as far as you are concerned. For this promise to be applicable to your life you must believe and receive it into your very being, however difficult it might be.

The only way to do this is to allow the Holy Spirit to make you understand the true gravity of this promise. We must thank Jesus that His saving power to us has made this possible. As we plead with God saying 'Lord I want to believe but take away my unbelief' the Holy Spirit is able to give us sufficient faith to believe as it is His nature to comfort, counsel and reveal God the Father and Jesus the Son to us and of course as He starts to work in us, we will experience God the Holy Spirit in our hearts and will understand His gentle touch.

Lord Jesus, heal my troubled heart. Subdue and take control of the pain and dissatisfaction in my life and help me to feel in my heart the power of the Holy Spirit who is readily available to inspire me and reveal God to me. I confess Lord Jesus that I love you and acknowledge that you died for me.

I am your child, and your promises to care for me as your own, is so wonderful. Help me to understand this truth, and touch my heart Father today and grant me to have more faith to believe and trust this promise. In Jesus' name I come. Amen.

- Suneetha Sahayam

Resurrection: Experience relevant at all times

Continued from last week

In addition to this we have also to contend with the staggering escalation of world prices, which makes the privilege of living costly. It is therefore not surprising to find men's hearts failing them, or even questioning as to whether we are heading towards the terminus.

The Bible does very convincingly speak of these days and the days to come, and the militant Christian however lives steadfastly on, having his eyes fixed on the Saviour. It is indeed reassuring and comforting to find, that there are committed Christians the world over, who strongly believe that the resurrection of our Lord is all-embracing, for all time, and cannot be conditioned by a space-time dimension. To these Christians cultivating the presence of Christ daily in their lives, the Resurrection is just not another event of the past, but a daily occurrence a moment-to-moment affair.

Mary at the tomb was confronted with the risen Saviour but she, supposing Him to be the gardener, questioned "Sir, if thou has borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid Him". To this she heard the rejoinder "Mary" and Mary instantly recognized the voice to be that of Jesus the crucified, and triumphantly with spontaneous joy exclaimed Rabboni (Master) and in obedience to Jesus went and told the others concerning His imminent ascension.

Mary knew Jesus's physical presence and form, for she lived during Jesus' time and had conversed with Him. She was therefore able to recognize His voice. We, too know him though not in the same way as Mary did-through the activities in our churches, the Bible, Christian literature and the lives of dedicated Christians (Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe")

The risen Saviour confront us daily in every area of our lives just the way He did Mary at the tomb, but more especially when we are about to act contrary to His wishes and commit sin - taking a bribe or committing murder, adultery or putting our hand to a false document.

At the verge of sinning. He calls us by our own name just the way He did to Mary and if we are able to recognize His voice then we, too, with joy exclaim 'Master' and in obedience will turn our backs against the contemplated sin and follow Him. But if we suppose Him to be the gardener, we will fail to recognize His voice and continue to wallow in sin.

"Jesus calls us o'er the tumult, of our life's wild restless sea. Day by day His Sweet voice soundeth saying, Christians, follow me."

Pope proclaims five new saints

Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday created five new saints including a Portuguese general who secured his country's independence before becoming a friar after his wife died.

Portuguese hero Nuno de Santa Maria Alvares Pereira was canonised along with four Italians including Bernardo Tolomei, a blind 14th century theologian who died along with monks from a religious order he founded, helping victims of the Great Plague.

Alvares Pereira (1360-1431) led Portuguese soldiers fighting for independence from Castille. Having become a national hero through his military prowess, Alvares Pereira founded a Franciscan order and became the senior friar there until his death.

The other new saints include Siena aristocrat Tolomei, who died alongside 82 monks of his order while helping victims of the Great Plague of 1348. Three 19th-century Italians, a priest, Arcangelo Tadini, and Gertrude Comensoli and Caterina Volpicelli, who founded congregations of nuns, were made saints for their efforts to help the poor.

The pope told a ceremony in St Peter's Square that Tadini had wanted to "evangalise the workplace by sharing its pain. How his example is still worthy today, in an era of grave economic crisis." VATICAN CITY, AFP

Large crowd at Hiniduma Calvary

Several hundreds of devotees from various parts of the country flocked to the Mount Calvary at Hiniduma situated on a beautiful hillock Kurusa Kanda to participate in special religious services conducted in connection with the annual pilgrimage season.

This was the 60th pilgrimage season held under the theme of "Let us walk the Way of the Cross."

Through Lenten meditations let us face life's challenges in a Christian manner, the administrator of Calvary shrine Rev. Fr. Shelton Fernando told the Daily News.

He said that the Calvary was connected with the passion and death of Jesus Christ and it was the duty of all devotees to decent their dress and behaviour.

The pilgrimage season started on February 25, the Ash Wednesday is scheduled to be concluded with a thanksgiving mass on April 19. The administrator of the shrine reminds to all devotees that this shrine was situated in a non-Christian area and therefore our behaviour should bear witness to the faith.

The Holy Week religious services conducted by the Most Rev. Dr. Harold Anthony Perera, the Bishop of Galle Diocese.

Rev. Fr. Nihal Nanayakkara, the Vicar General of Galle was also participated at the religious services during Holy Week.

A scene from the Kalvari Yagaya Easter play staged by parishioners of St. Mary’s Church, Mattakkuliya to mark Good Friday recently. It was held under the patronage of Rev. Fr. Mark Fernando (TOR). Shanthi Dias and Anthony Fonseka directed the play and the preachers were Rev. Fr. Sriyananda Fernando and Rev. Bro. Devaraj of the clarasian congregation. The cast included Ranil Rajapaksa, Renuka Dias, Dennis Fonseka and Lakshman Perera. Media coverage was by ITN.

Christian Perspectives

Peaceful society our aim, says Galle Bishop