Christian Perspectives

Is Jesus present in our Christmas?

Christians the world over celebrate Christmas in keeping with their traditions and cultural aspects. Jesus was born in a very humble manner inviting all of us to be humble in everything. Humility and simplicity of the first Christmas at Bethlehem has disappeared and materialism and commercial celebrations have encroached instead.

At whichever scale we celebrate Christmas today we do not change the tradition of making the stable and crib because we know the real nature of a stable and therefore we stick to it. Stable is a symbol of simplicity and we make a stable in our houses as the way it should be but we forget what it symbolizes. The only symbol that has not been lost today is simplicity and humility represented in our stable but rest of the celebration of Christmas is pomp and glory.

The shepherds were the first invitees. They were poor workers. They were average people. God the Father invited shepherds to see baby Jesus and share His happiness. Whom do we invite today? If we have workers under us who make us prosper, do we invite them to share our Christmas? Do we give them their due bonus in due time? Do we treat our workers to their dignity? Further we may have poor neighbours who may celebrate Christmas at a low key due to their poverty. Do we share Christmas with them? Do we give and share? “God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Cor, 9:7) We must give the poor because they cannot give us anything in return. But our heavenly reward is bountiful.

We undoubtedly invite the Magi today. They are our friends who are rich or richer than us. We like friends who come around with gifts. There is nothing wrong in that. The Magi who visited Jesus with gifts were not invited but they visited out of their curiosity. Today we invite our rich friends out of curiosity. It is our human nature to be friendly with someone who is rich, acclaimed or a notable personality. We may not invite the shepherds but the Magi to add colour and grandeur to our celebrations. Do we invite, recognize and act the Good Samaritan towards the poor, the suffering neighbour, Jesus in human form?

We all like celebrations because Christmas is the season of joy and celebrations. What do we celebrate? We celebrate the humble birth of Jesus the Son of God who came to the world in human form to deliver us from sin. His birth brought peace and hope to all of us. Is Jesus, the protagonist of Christmas drama, given the due recognition and the due place? Will Jesus be born at least in our simple cribs at home? Will He be present in our celebrations if we neglect the poor and the needy?

We clean our houses. Sometimes we colourwash our houses. Do we clean our heart or conscience? If we need Jesus to be born or to be present in today’s Christmas we need to prepare ourselves spiritually. We need to knock on the heart and question ourselves and beg for forgiveness before a priest. Genuine confession will open the doors of our heart for Jesus to be born. Our heart is the best crib for Him.

Next we should be peace-makers. It should begin within oneself and within the family. Peace through humility is the essence of Christmas. If peace begins to reign in our hearts and in our families, Jesus will be born again. If we prepare ourselves while accepting our weaknesses and begging for forgiveness, Jesus will undoubtedly be born in our hearts and be present in this Christmas.

Dear Parents! Familiarize your children with the true spirit of Christmas: a spirit of sharing, a spirit of concern for the poor, a spirit of conversion. As you sit together at the Christmas meal, rejoice, feeling the presence of Jesus in the family.

Ajith Perera – Wennappuwa

Light set on a hill

All eyes were focused on the metropolitan Cathedral of Sri Lanka - St Lucia’s Cathedral in Kotahena yesterday, Colombo North, for the feast of St. Lucy, its Patroness whose feast was celebrated this year, one day before her feast.

According to late D J B Kuruppu, who compiled and published a Souvenir of the Golden Jubilee and Consecration of the Cathedral, he writes, “Glinting in Colombo’s sun, soaring aloft into her blue sky, lording it over the city, rises on high the silvery dome of St. Lucia’s Cathedral.” Below, girding her massive walls are Good Shepherd Convent and St. Benedict’s College, other institutions, stretching around on every side. Crowding one upon the other, stand the dwelling homes, the pleasure resorts, the business emporia of the good people of Kotahena - one of the most populous wards of Ceylon’s metropolis”.

It is interesting to note that Kotahena was first known as Kottan Chena - chena of kottan (native almond) trees. The Portuguese called the place Kotachena; and the Dutch, Kotanchena, and the British called it Cotan China and Kottanchina. In 1870 due to various criticisms and protests, it was called Kotahena.

The present Cathedral dedicated to St. Lucy is 248 years old, and has been a spiritual oasis and a haven of rest to many thousands in Kotahena, as well as the surrounding areas.

It has a mixture of several ethnic groups - Sinhala, Tamil, Burgher, Colombo Chetties, Bharathas and Muslims, but religious harmony and neighbourliness pervades in Kotahena with caring and sharing among all communities and religions.

The Feast Day of Queen of Lights, St. Lucy (also known as Lucia) falls on December 13 every year. Lucy was born in Syracuse in Sicily about 283 AD. Her parents were Christians, but Lucy’s father died when she was a few months old, and so she was brought up solely by her mother. From a very early age, Lucy consecrated herself to God, without confiding in anyone, not even her mother.

As Lucy means ‘light’, she became the patron saint for the “Light of the Eyes”, and today those who are born blind or stricken with blindness and other eye ailments such as glaucoma and cataract, pray to her and ask her to intercede to God the Father, to give them back their sight, if He so wills it.

Many stories have been handed down from generation to generation concerning St. Lucy, She vowed to live a single life of blessedness serving only God and the poor. She followed in the footsteps of her favourite saint. St. Agatha. Lucy’s mother however, thought otherwise and arranged a marriage for her with a non-Christian. But Lucky knew that there was a much more powerful partner in life - Jesus Christ.

Whatever the legends surrounding St. Lucy are, the truth is that her courage to stand up fearlessly, and be counted a Christian inspite of torture and death, is the light that should lead us on our journey through life.

Prayer

Relaying on Your goodness, O God, we humbly ask you, by the intercession of your servant, Saint Lucy, to give perfect vision to our eyes, that we may serve for your greater honour and glory. And we pray for the salvation of our souls in this world, that we may come to the enjoyment of the unfailing light of the Lamb of God in heaven.

St. Lucy, virgin and martyr, hear our prayers and answer our petitions.

Amen !

Daphne Lord

Shepherd with a social vision

Fr. Daya Welikadaarachchi National Seminary, Ampitiya

His Eminence is a shepherd with great commitment to pastoral care. The biblical concept “shepherd” highlights person with leadership and sensitivity to the needs of the each member of the community (Proverbs 27:23).

It is a difficult role within the society which calls for maturity and integrity. cannot be easily performed in any social setting. It can be seen as a role of double dimension, to be on who leads and one who accompanies. Such a shepherding role can bring about a true upliftment in the life of the people.

The prophet Ezekiel presents it as a testing ground for a genuine and caring leadership: ‘I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the I will destroy, I will feed them with justice” (Ez 34:16).

It is this challenging task which Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has as a priority in his pastoral plan. One could observe that form the inception of his priestly ministry, there is a clear orientation to the care of the poor and the needy.

As a priest ordained in by Pope Paul Vi in 1975, he began his shepherding role, and achieved positive maturity and conviction in this pastoral vision by shouldering many a responsibility.

The elevation to the dignity of Cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI is really a blessing and great pastoral opportunity for him to pursue this pastoral vision with more commitment and efficiency.

Enthusiasm and commitment for social uplift I have known Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith for many years since my Seminary formation days.

I saw in the young priest Fr. Malcolm Ranjith a great enthusiasm motivated by a deep spirituality. As a part of our formation program, I had the opportunity to do some pastoral work in Kepungoda, which was a part of Pamunuagam Parish. Then Fr. Malcolm Ranjith was the assistant parish priest.

As an energetic priest he showed his capacity to get the poor fisher folk together and to give them some basic guidelines get their lives better organized and developed as self-made made people. While giving them guidance, he was able to get some facilities such as nets, boat engines etc for these people, through governmental and non-governmental services. Later he also managed to organize a housing project for 25 families through the some friends abroad. There was a new life and positive growth in the life conditions of the people.

On the other hand I saw how the participation of the people in the liturgical and spiritual activities started growing gradually. Later as the parish priest of Payagala, Fr. Malcolm Ranjith continued his interest and commitment in this social apostolate to help in the upliftment of the fisher folk and other categories of people in the Kaluthara deanery. Naturally there were obstacles, but I found Fr. Malcolm as one who was quite convinced of his vision and very courageous in pursuing the goals the pastoral ministry..

This pastoral vision of reached deeper level when Fr. Malcolm Ranjith took the responsibilities as the Chairman of SEDEC Caritas, the social service arm of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka.

He was able to give a new orientation by promoting the local bodies in the different dioceses in the country. There was better planning and implementation focusing also on the local resources in carrying out the social uplift programs in different fields of work.

The Seth Sarana, the centre for Archdiocesan social apostolate is the brainchild of Fr. Malcoln Ranjith.

He encouraged more creativity and involvement at the local level, to be very successful in the expanded services in covering education, self employment, health care etc. As true shepherd, Fr. Malcolm Ranjith was farsighted in pastoral vision, and bold in making decisions and courageous in introducing necessary changes.

Commitment to Peace and harmony as components of Social Progress

No doubt, the greatest challenges to progress of our motherland in the recent past was the seeking a durable solution for ethnic conflict which lasted for almost 30 years. The violence resulting from mistrust, prejudices and attitudes of hatred led the social and civil life into a great deterioration. The loss of life and property reflected the pathetic and chaotic situation of the nation and the country.

The religious and cultural values could not exert the desired influence and impact on the situation. It is true that many attempts were made by the civil and religious leaders at different levels. This was a prominent pastoral challenge for the catholic Church in Sri Lanka.

The shepherding role demands constant care combined with gentleness and firmness in effort. (Is 40:11 : ‘gathering the lambs in arms.. carrying them in bosom.. gently leading them...). True shepherd is a community- builder. It is only through a committed approach to heal the wounded hearts, to mend the shattered relationships, to give fresh hope for enduring harmony that one promote vision of harmony and progress in society.

Bishop Malcolm Ranjith was very much concerned with national problem. As a member of the Sri Lankan Catholic Bishop’s Conference, then as the Adjunct Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, he used his good offices to assist in resolving this problem.

I still remember when I was doing higher studies in Rome, Bishop Malcolm initiated series of common prayer sessions getting together the Sinhalese and Tamil people working in the area of Rome, aiming at promoting ethnic harmony.

To be continued

Golden Jubilee of Sister Rose Fernando

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race and I have remained faithful (2Tim 4:7).

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His faithful love endures forever. (Ps. 118.29)

The provenance of the word jubilee is the Hebrew word ‘jobel’ which means a ram’s horn - formed like a little trumpet. A trumpet was used to announce a jubilee year.

Today, the trumpet is sounded to announce and proclaim the golden jubilee of Sr. Rose’s religious profession.

Sister Rose was born on September 14, 1940 to the family of Christopher and Anne Fernando, at Katuneriya in the Chilaw diocese. You were the seventh of nine children. Growing up, we fondly remember how gentle, caring, loving and amazingly low-key you were in all your dealings with your siblings and family in general.

Having had two aunts and two first cousins in the congregation of the Holy Family, perforce your thoughts initially turned to that Order to try and test if God’s call for you was pointed in that direction.

You entered the postulancy on the 2nd of February 1959 at Periyamulla.

Made your first profession on the 8th of December 1960.

Having preserved and completed your novitiate, you made your final profession on the 8th of December 1965

The young woman who encounted problems deciphering her true calling at the beginning was now fully thrust into the limelight when she was elected to head the Congregation after the Belgian Sisters decided to make it an independent entity sans ties to the Belgian roots.

You were Provincial on the 10th of November 1976 and subsequently received the mantle of the Superior General on the November 10, 1986 for five years.

It is a happy day of rejoicing for what God has accomplished through her and for her.

Fr.Joe Paul Fernando

Meditation

Oscar E V Fernando

Be still - and know that I AM God, said He.
Seek me first for you and I are Eternity.
Seek within - you will find me in stillness.
Then you know you are well within wholeness.

You will not clasp Him - till death you depart.
But nearer the clasp, you feel well in your heart
You saw Him - and came from Him, to your mother’s womb
You will search for Him till you rest in your tomb.

That’s what the sculptor, painter, artist the singer does.
Searching the Perfect with talents they possess.
Search till you are no more - for then, Him you will see.
Yes, all will see Him - the good the bad and the ugly.

Choose at all times the right thing in life to do.
For only then, after life, you see Glory through and through.
If the wrong thing is willed and done in this life,
Being damned, you see no more of Beauty even in strife.

Seeing Him for ever in death is what is called heaven
For ‘tis the design when you first came down from heaven.
Not seeing Perfect Beauty forever - is that you are damned.
Hell the reward as with sin, this life you have shammed.

In meditation and seeking deep within,
His spark you will see - the Kingdom of God therein.
More you seek the spark the closer to divine you become.
Till you are a wonder to the world around.

Meditation! ‘tis no selfish exercise!
For that spark of the Divine will make you clever and wise.
What and where is this wisdom thy lament?
Seek God within-call Him what you will-to wisdom you relent.

Divine Intelligence within makes you love neighbour as self.
For wisdom speaks loud to go to your neighbours help.
Wisdom will dawn to him that dwells within.
In meditation you will hear Wisdom’s voice ringing.

In wisdom you know the reality of self.
Why you are on earth you will know in stealth.
For one purpose alone you are here on earth behold,
And that is to know to love and to serve God we are told.

Serving God is to serve your neighbour.
The void of life is filled when you do your neighbour’s labour.
Love your neighbour as thyself - said He.
Wisdom prompts to love self and then feel free.

Meditate to get closer to God and be still.
For then you will know that which He wills.
That you do in concert with your will.
Do this - Lo and behold your needs will be filled.