CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVES

The 2700th Novena at Moratuwa Church

The 2700th Perpetual Novena of Moratuwa was celebrated August 11 with the Episcopal vicar Very Rev. Fr. Bonnie Fernandopulle officiating as the chief celebrant.

Reminiscing the history of the novena series it recalled that the first novena was started over half a century ago which still continues to draw large crowds.

Regressing the genesis of the Perpetual Novena it was in salubrious Kandy, that the Perpetual Succour devotion originated at the shrine known as Sancta Maria in Halloluwa. Borella’s All Saints Church copied it later and the Novena to Our Blessed Mother commenced on December 8, 1952 there.

The novena was introduced by Rev. Fr. C Macarthy CSSR, to the Parish Priest of All Saints, Rev. Fr. John Herath, from where it spread to other parishes including Moratuwa, which celebrates its 2700 novena now Going back to the start of the novena in St. Sebastian’s church. Rev. Fr. Mccarthy referred to above, was in Moratuwa around late October 1952. He wrote about the origin of the novena which was given to a layman in the parish for typing.

This man was a Marian devotee and when he fell sick with a heart ailment he started to pray to the Mother of Perpetual Help, fascinated by the story he had typed. Hey presto the man was miraculously healed and to thank the Blessed Mother, he told the priest that he would like to commence the novena to Mary, our Perpetual Succour.

He did start this exercise June 23, 1953 with a few Marian devotees and in time it became popular among the parish folk. Came Rev. Fr. Edmund Fernando (later bishop) to the parish and the novena had his official sanction October 29, 1958. The first novena commenced in Moratuwa.

The chief celebrant at this celebration was Most Rev. Thomas Benjamin Coorey OMI, the archbishop at the time who later was raised to the august status of a cardinal. Time dragged on and in due course the 100th Novena was celebrated November 21, 1960, the 200th 22.8.62, and the 300th and 400th novenas during the tenure of Rev. Fr. Julius Wijesoriya, the 500th on 8.5.68 with festive mass by Rt. Rev. Fr. Frank Marcus Fernando, the Auxiliary Bishop of Colombo.

Came the time for the 1000th novena to be celebrated and this was done on a grand scale on February 10, 1971. By now the novena increased to sessions. The last festive occasion of the novena was the 2500 in the series which was kept with pomp befitting the occasion. Today the edifice of St. Sebastian’s church overflows with Marian devotees and a third novena has to come which is kept at morning mass every Wednesday to accommodate the faithful who are fond of Mary, and who come to her seeking her never failing aid.

The picture or the statue of Mary of Perpetual Help needs some explanation as not many know its history. In the East the picture is known as Our Lady of the Sorrowful Vision. The Blessed Virgin holds her Son in her arms and the two angels represent Michael and Gabriel. The duo are showing Him the instruments of His Passion while Jesus is turning sadly aside and clinging to Mother Mary’s hand. One shoe is released from foot as if to remind us that the Child though small, is the world’s Redeemer.

The original painting of this picture goes back to the 14th century. The gold surrounding the figures symbolises heaven and that Mary alone is The Gate of Heaven. In her veil is the Morning Star and Mary’s eyes look at us as if in answer to our prayer. The child in her arms seems shocked at the vision of His Passion. Mary is inclined towards Jesus and her eyes reveal her love to Him.

The archangel Michael appears to the Child holding in his hands the spear and sponge which makes the child turn away as if in fear. Gabriel holds the cross and nails which makes Jesus turn to his mother for help. She supports Him with her left hand. All these make Jesus’s sandal of His right foot fall.

Marian devotion today has reached such heights that fundamentalists cry foul and say it is Mariolatry. It is a pity that they cold shoulder this great Mother of God, Mary Most Holy, failing to realize that she alone was selected by the Almighty to be the earthly mother of His Son made flesh. Whatever grouse these anti Marians have, Mary the Mother of God made man, will always continue to take centre stage in Catholic worship. We only have to say. We’ll love Mary as long as the sun and moon last.

Lenard R Mahaarachchi

Priesthood Silver Jubilee:

Fr J.A. Jesuthas, Rector, St. Henry’s College

Meno Thiruchelvam - President, Henricians Colombo

It is indeed a moment to savour, for all young and old Henricians alike around the world as the Rector of St. Henry’s College, Ilavalai Revd Fr J. A. Jesuthas who has celebrated his sacredotal silver jubilee August 6, offering a thanksgiving mass at St. Anne’s Church, Ilavalai. After the holy mass, a warm reception was accorded to him at the College premises amidst large gathering of students of St. Henry’s old boys, priests and nuns. Father Joseph Antonypillai Jesuthas hails from a traditional cultural catholic family of Soorawathai, Chunnakam and had gone through the formations of Jaffna Diocese’s pristine Catholic Institutions: St Patrick’s College for his secondary education and joined St. Martin Seminary in 1971, under the guidance by the late Oblate Rev. Fr. Augustine Brown, the last English clergyman to serve in Jaffna, later glided through St. Francis Xavier’s Seminary, Columbuthurai and National Seminary, Ampitiya for Theological studies. He was ordained a priest by late Bishop Rt Rev Dr B. Deogupillai on August 6, 1985.

But his best of formation for a future rectorship of St. Henry’s was during the decade of 1986 to 1996 at Ilavalai, under the erudite tutelage of Very Revd. Dr. Justin B. Gnanapragasam, who was then the Rector of St. Henry’s College and now the Vicar General of Jaffna.

His baptism of fire came alive in 1992, when people simply fled the area en masse for safety, leaving everything behind abandoning the sick, old and the disables due to ethnic disturbances. Fr. Jesuthas stay put at Ilavalai along with some 40 students at the Hostel in the midst of chaos and melee and rose up to the challenge admirably and stood up to the gigantic task of safeguarding those hapless, helpless lots, regardless of their being Catholics or Hindus. From the exodus even St. Henry’s was not spared.

The College had to be relocated to Manipay and then to Mirusuvil functioned in exile in its 95 year history. Immediately he got on working tirelessly with the Military officials redressing and looking after the needs of those deserted lot for four long years until 1996. Same year he was moved to Kayts to rebuild a war devastated St. Anthony’s College.

As a clergyman he has an in-built charitable mind, caring those to be cared for and the Rock of Gibraltar for those in the realm of hopelessness. These core spirits of his, went into lay firm foundations for the future of some 50 students gathered from the Camps of the IDP aftermath of the ravages of war ended on May 18, 2009 who are of single parentage, few of them lost both parents, housed, cared and nurtured now at St. Joseph’s Hostel, akin to the College, guided them by him towards education as single handed Formator.

The Church today in the North-East faces a unique task of a great humanitarian endeavour: healing process, by any definition Fr. Jesuthas had set a benchmark and proved once again a sense of direction to others, that it is better to light one candle than curse the darkness.

His second entry to St. Henry’s in 2009, this time as the Rector of the College marked another reawakening, lifting up the sagging spirits in sports and studies inducting radical reforms deemed necessary in the administration of this 103-year Old Catholic Institution. Most of all, Fr Jesuthas is a loyal Catholic Priest, whose virtues in directness and humanity won friends everywhere throughout and in return brought faith, hope and charity to those who truly are in need.

The Mother

A mother is for all seasons, I am so happy, as a mother, that you children have set aside a day to think of us. However, I feel that mothers are for all time. One cannot measure a mother’s love or talk of her sacrifices by a twenty four hour yard stick - just for one day.

My dearest most consummate of Gods creations, I am mother earth. I am a mother whose love is beyond borders, creed, nationality and colour.

Please my children, spare a few moments of your time and give, ear to me on this beautiful day. I am the mother of both the living and the non living. My body stretches from the summit of Mount Everest, to the dark and deep abyss in the Pacific ocean. On my body are the oceans and land.

Mothers are compared to magnets. Mothers attract children. Magnets attract many metals. As for me, I attract all things terrestrial and celestial on to my body. My body becomes the final resting place for everything animate and inanimate.

The noble teachers of our world had loving mothers. They have all left their sweet for prints on me, while treading on me cuddling their sons.

They inspired Them. Yes ! I feel so proud and honoured to have kissed the footsteps of these masters who walked on me preaching their immortal doctrines on compassion, righteous living, submission, love, forgiveness and peace. I think I am the most blessed of all mothers.

Within me is water – life giving water, oceans that give sustenance, rivers, water falls, glaciers, the valleys, reefs, the exquisite flowers, the birds, the fauna.

Above all, you – the perfect of my beloved, ‘Almighty gods creations – the human being.

Beneath my body is untold wealth - oil, gold, precious stones and many other precious ores, for you to harness for the benefit of all mankind.

A loving teacher said “Love Thy Neighbour”. It was Jesus. I was overjoyed you were created in His own image and likeness and made to look after me. He had great hope in you.

He wanted you love one another, live symbiotic lives. He gave you redeemer, what happened to him is history. I was to be the mother for all time. I wanted to hear the patter of the little feet of humans and all others, on my body, the birds chirping and the flight of butterflies and bees.

Alas, what have you given me? You have desecrated my body with the pock masks from the shells of missiles, rockets. Also landmines, ammunition dumps, military bunkers and bloody dungeons.

They have caused my body to shudder causing tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes, earth slip;s, dust clouds

By desecrating my body, you have cause me to whither and to cause global warming. It is said.

Your wars have soaked my body with the blood and tears of gallant young sons and daughters. You commemorate their deaths, by once again fitting guns and by silence. You rejoice at the fallen youth of your opponents. How many tears have I shed in seeing mothers, walking, walking, walking with babes in their arms, crying of hunger.

Sometimes these children fall off the tired and scared mothers, bosoms only to be trampled by those following. They walk into unknown lands as refugees. It reminds me of two unforgettable events.

The flight into Egypt and the Hejira of two of the greatest teachers of all time were made on my body wonderful.

One hallowed teacher reached his ultimate goal, the enlightenment seated on me.

The blood of another soaked my body at the foot of the cross on which. He was crucified. To unforgettable events. Both for the good of Man.

My children, as a mother, I shudder when I think of the cut up pieces of your babes being sucked out of the wombs of mothers. These pieces and thousands of tiny sweet unwanted human babes lie beneath a few feet of my body.

Only my small innocent friend where in my name is eternally imprinted – the gentle earthworm will bear witness to these tragedies.

They are silent tillers of my soil for your benefit. Their reward is to be cut up and trampled by you, my children. They are classed as dirty.

My dearest children have you ever thought of me on this lovely day. A once happy mother saddened not by those who cannot think to know what is wrong and right – but alas ! By you my dears.

You speak so much about me. Honouring the motherland, dying for the motherland. Humans call their own countries their motherland. National Anthems mention my name.

Think of my role in your lives. Only my sweet human children can make me happy and a memorable abode for all creatures.

May I embrace you all my darlings and shed tears of joy and bless you for saying so many nice things about us. Your mothers.

Thank you Yours Everlastingly Mother Earth. - Siripathy Jayamaha

Prayer is part of our daily work

New Chapel at “Melville” Priory Moratuwa:

His Grace the Archbishop of Colombo Rt. Rev. Dr. Malcolm Ranjith who presided at the Eucharistic Celebration Blessed the newly Constructed Chapel and dedicated it to St. Bandict recently.

In his Message his grace said that “Love, Communion and Service are three noble qualities in a Christians life. It is the duty of a Christian to accept prayer and serving others as a part of their daily work. He further pointed out that the much needed Chapel for the Elders home will be a great blessing. Among those present on this occasion were Rev. Fr. Cyril Gamini, Vicar Southern Region, Sr. Heloise de Silva, Prioress of Bendicitine Sisters of Grace and Compassion, Sr. Catherine and Rev, Fathers of the neighbouring parishes participated.

Chinthaka De Mel

Vatican details Pope’s visit to UK

The Vatican last week unveiled the official program of Pope Benedict XVI’s planned September visit to Britain and sought to clear up the controversy the trip has sparked in some quarters.

“I have read and heard the totally unfounded objections,” said Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi regarding the disclosure that worshippers would be asked to pay a “pilgrim contribution” of up to 25 pounds (30 euros, 40 dollars) to attend papal events.

“All this is completely false... the Pope goes to a country because he is invited by the highest authorities of the state (the Queen and the government) and by the local Church,” Lombardi said on Radio Vatican.

“Consequently, the costs and logistical constraints are naturally at the expense of the one inviting him,” he said. “It is not the pope who organises a trip to England all by himself.”

The 83-year-old Pontiff will begin on September 16 in the Scottish capital Edinburgh, where Queen Elizabeth II, titular head of the world’s Anglicans, will greet him at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Vatican said in a statement of a trip that will also take him to London and Birmingham. Benedict XVI will be only the second pope to visit Britain since King Henry VIII split with Rome in 1534, leading to the formation of the Anglican Church.

His predecessor John Paul II drew huge crowds in 1982.

The visit’s high point will be the beatification of 19th-century theologian Cardinal John Henry Newman, an Anglican convert to Catholicism, on the last day of the four-day tour.

AFP

Pope urges ‘concrete support’ for Pakistan flood victims

Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday urged the international community to offer “concrete support” to flood-ravaged Pakistan.

“My thoughts at this time go to the dear people of Pakistan, recently struck by serious floods that have claimed numerous victims and left many families homeless,” the pope said. “Our brothers who are undergoing such a cruel ordeal must not lack the solidarity and concrete support of the international community,” he urged during his weekly audience at his summer residence outside Rome.

The floods have affected some 20 million people and claimed at least 1,400 lives in Pakistan’s worst-ever natural disaster.

AFP

Thousands evacuated in Lourdes hoax bomb scare

A bomb threat forced the temporary evacuation of the Roman Catholic sanctuaries in the French pilgrimage town of Lourdes on Sunday, as 30,000 worshippers celebrated the Assumption.

The regional prefect, a state representative and police chief, Rene Bidal told AFP that bomb squad officers had finished a search of the site’s various shrines and found no sign of explosives following the apparent hoax.

The site will reopen in time for the closing of the annual ceremonies, allowing thousands of pilgrims from around the world to return to the grotto where a 19th century serving girl believed she saw the Virgin Mary.

Earlier, bomb disposal teams and sniffer dogs had scoured the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, the Basilica of the Rosary, the site’s offices and hospitals and the underground cave church of Saint Pius X.

“A bomb warning was received at the police station, announcing that four bombs were going to go off at around 3.00pm in the sanctuaries,” the site’s press officer Pierre Adias told AFP just before 2.00pm (1200 GMT).

Appeals to worshippers were broadcast in six languages on loudspeakers, and the shrine complex was calmly evacuated without incident. Worshippers were allowed back less than three hours later. Some sang hymns as they waited nearby for the shrine to reopen. “The start of the 15 August procession, which is a key moment of the pilgrimage, has been maintained for 4.30pm, so as to disturb the cultural event as little as possible,” Bidal said.

“The call came in around noon from a telephone box from a man with a strong Mediterranean accent who seemed quite determined. We had to take the threat seriously,” he added.

On August 15, Catholics celebrate the Virgin Mary’s ascent to heaven, and Lourdes — a southern French town where the faithful believe the Virgin Mary appeared in visions 152 years ago — is a popular site to mark the event.

Lourdes has been one of the most important centres of Catholic pilgrimage in Europe since 1858, and the small community of only 16,000 permanent residents now hosts around six million visitors per year.

The town owes its fame to Bernadette Soubirous, who in 1858 was an impoverished 14-year-old serving girl when she had the first of what the Church now recognises as 18 visions of the Virgin Mary.

A freshwater spring was found in a cave at the site of the visions and now serves as a source of water for pools in which sick pilgrims hope to find cures for various worldly ailments.

Bernadette was canonised as a saint by Pope Pius XI in 1933.

AFP