CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVES

Study tour of the north

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference led by its President, Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, made a visit to Mannar, Kilinochchi and Mullaithivu districts to appraise for themselves the present situation of the resettlement and rehabilitation of those displaced by the war. It was a four day visit organized by Caritas Sri Lanka with the collaboration of the Diocesan Caritas Centres of Vania and Mannar.

The visit included areas such as Mullikulam, Killinochchi, Thirunagar, Mullaithivu, Puthukudiruppu and Kerpapulavu. In each of these places the Bishops were able to meet with affected families and interact with them to assess the ground situation.

The Internally Displaced People (IDPs) shared their anxieties, sorrows as well as hopes and aspirations regarding their return to normal life. Many families who have lost their dead or missing loved ones, either parents or children, are still grieving inconsolably.

Alive or dead

They expressed the hope that they be told if their loved ones are still alive or dead. If they are dead, they wish to mourn for them and get on with their lives. If they are alive they are anxious to know their whereabouts and make contact with them.

In some areas the affected people are being resettle on lands (40 perches per family) and assistance is being provided to build their houses and also basic amenities such as wells and sanitation facilities. As regards livelihood, the people are still being issued with dry rations and some of them go in search of daily labour or work as fishermen.

Many of them are farmers and therefore, they wish to have lands allocated to them, preferably in their original habitats, so that they may begin cultivating these lands and earning their livelihood which would help them to live with dignity.

Educational facilities are minimal as children are still provided with makeshift huts and sheds. The whole atmosphere of devastated buildings and bullet-ridden walls certainly do not provide a conducive atmosphere for children, in particular, to put behind the trauma of the terrible war and get on with their studies.

Some areas are still snake-infested and pose a real threat to the IDP's lives as many areas to do not yet have electricity. Despite so many handicaps and shortcomings there seems to be hope for the future as normalcy is being restored even though at a very slow pace.

Mega scale infrastructure restoration is being done and is commendable yet, we feel that the day to day to day needs of the people too need to receive equal or priority attention.

Listening to the heart-felt sentiments of the people, regarding their life situation in the post-war scenario, the Bishops perceived that their main aspiration is to have a participatory role in all aspects of their lives as well as their day today decision making as all other citizens of Sri Lanka.

There seems to be a serious lack of opportunities for the affected people to participate in the processes of their own governance as prevailing in other parts of the country. This vacuum has to be filled at the earliest to prevent frustration from growing into worse proportions.

Whether in the field of education or in the matter of livelihood or securing job opportunities and in all other aspects of civil administration normal structures have to be put in place for people to participate responsibly in the democratic processes.

The Bishops felt this sense of disappointment among the ordinary people as well as in their discussions with civil society representatives, religious leaders and other stake holders involved in the resettlement and rehabilitation process of the IDPs.

Resettlement and rehabilitation

The Bishops also met with armed forces personnel to obtain their views about the processes for resettlement and rehabilitation. It was heart-warming to see how in some areas the troops were seen working closely with the civilians in the work of the construction of houses, digging of wells and more. This collaboration is to be appreciated very much.

However, the Bishops felt that the frequent presence of the troops among the war affected people does not create an atmosphere conducive to the restoration of normalcy as there is still a sense of sub-conscious fear of the uniform. We therefore strongly encourage the early establishment and strengthening of all forms of local government in the said areas including the Northern Provincial Council.

In the area of healing of minds and hearts there is much that has yet to be done. Trained counsellors could be of help specially for children and vulnerable sectors such as widows as the scars of war have to disappear from them if reconciliation is to be effective.

Grief always needs to be got over with. Hence while urging the government to restore their places of worship, we also appeal to them to accord this opportunity to seek spiritual solace in their sufferings through religious service as essential for true reconciliation and healing.

It is our contention that the power of healing which would remove the victor-vanquished feeling still prevalent between people in this country in the case specially of the Sinhalese and the Tamils has not reached its desired level of success and more needs to be done.

The recommendations of the LLRC with regard to reconciliation need to be taken more seriously, which could also lead to the strengthening of democratic processes in the North and the East and eventually to an acceptable and honourable political solution ensuring true unity in diversity. We wish to commend all these needs to the urgent attention of all the stake holders of governance of the country.

May God bless our beloved motherland, Sri Lanka with true peace, unity of hearts and healing!

P Thomas Fernando celebrates 75 years of service

Text and Picture by Dilwin Mendis - Moratuwa spl corr

The present sacristan attached to St Anthony's Church, Kadalana, Moratuwa P Thomas Fernando completed his 75 years of service recently.

He was appointed as sacristan on January 1, 1940 by late Rev. Fr. C M V Thomas (OMI) who was the then Parish Priest. Before getting this appointment to Kadalana he served in the same capacity at St Anthony's Church, Kochchikade from 1936 to 1938. Thereby completing 75 years of service. It is believed that he is the one and only person to render such a long service not only in Sri Lanka but throughout the world.

He is having a prestigious place in the line of sacristans who had been attached to St Anthony's Church Kadalana. The Silver Jubilee of this church was celebrated during the time of Fernando's grandfather late Jusey Fernando, who was the sacristan and his grandmother late Mari Perera too has contributed to this church. The Golden Jubilee of the church has been celebrated in 1933 during which period Fernando's grandfather serving as the sacristan.

Though Fernando is 96 years old he is very agile and is used to get up early in the morning to be at the church in time to ring the bell in order to wake up not only the Parishioners for the morning angels but the others in the vicinity.

Fernando was so fortunate to receive Holy Communion from the hands of His Holiness Pope John Paul II in 1995, on the occasion of his visit to Sri Lanka for the Beatification of Blessed Joseph Vaz.

It is with great satisfaction he says he has experienced and seen heaven in this world. The present Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Lalith Perera also has participated in the same mass and he was a Brother at that time.

After 40 years, his Holy Pope Benedict XVI by the meditation of Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith presented the Benemerenthi Medal as a praise to his great service.

Fernando is always the special friend of all Parish Priests who serve the church. Rev. Fr. Lalith Perera says that Fernando is a modern Abraham and a modern Noah.

President and Cardinal Ranjith visit Prem Nivasa

Malathi PERERA

President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith visited Prem Nivasa - Rawathawatte for Christmas. Many diplomats from various political parties were present including Minister Jeewan Kumaranatunga and Mayor of Moratuwa Saman Lal Fernando, Chairperson for the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) Mrs. Anoma Dissanayake together with many other representatives of the Government of Sri Lanka.

President Rajapaksa distributed gifts for the mentally and physically disabled children of the children's home and appreciated the humble services done by the Prem Nivasa and the Sister's of the Missionaries of Charity Mother Teresa.

The Parish Priests of Rawathawatte Rev. Fr. Tyronne Perera and Rev. Fr. Kasun Fernando together with many religious were also present at the occasion. Afterwards Cardinal Ranjith also inspected the construction progress of the new building of Prem Nivasa before leaving.

Reflecting on the Last Supper

Matthew 26:17-30; Mark 14:12-25; Luke 22:7-20.

On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread or Passover, Jesus sent two of his disciples ahead with very specific instructions on where to prepare the Passover meal. That evening Jesus sat down at the table with the 12 apostles to eat his final meal before going to the cross. As they dined together, he told the twelve that one of them would soon betray him.

One by one they questioned, “I'm not the one, am I, Lord?” Jesus explained that even though he knew he would die as the Scriptures foretold, his betrayer's fate would be terrible: “Far better for him if he had never been born!”

Then Jesus took the bread and the wine and asked his Father to bless it. He broke the bread into pieces, giving it to his disciples and said, “This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

And then he took the cup of wine, sharing it with his disciples and said, “This wine is the token of God's new covenant to save you--an agreement sealed with the blood I will pour out for you. He told all of them, “I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom.” Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.

Points of Interest from the Story:

* The Passover commemorated Israel's escape from bondage in Egypt. In Exodus, the blood of the Passover lamb was painted on the door frames, causing the plague of the firstborn to pass over their houses sparing the firstborn sons from death. The Last Supper was very significant because Jesus showed his disciples he was about to become the Passover Lamb of God. His blood would open the door to freedom. His followers would exchange slavery to sin and death for eternal life in God's Kingdom.

* Typically wine is served four times during the Passover meal. According to Jewish tradition, the four cups represent four expressions of redemption. The first cup is called the cup of sanctification; the second is the cup of judgment; the third is the cup of redemption; and the fourth is the cup of the kingdom.

* These verses surrounding the Last Supper form the biblical basis for the practice of Communion.

Gospel for the week

Luke 2, 10-17

The people asked him ‘what are we to do. Then. He answered ‘Whoever has two shirts must give one to the man who has none, and whoever has food, must share it.

Some tax collectors came to be baptised and they asked him, ‘Teacher, what are we to do? ‘Don't collect more than is legal, he told them.

Some soldiers also asked him ‘What about us. What are we to do? He told them ‘Don't take money from anyone by force or accuse anyone falsely. Be content with your pay.

People's hope began to rise and they began to wonder whether John perhaps might be the Messiah. So John said to them ‘I baptise you with water but someone is coming who is much greater than I am. I am not good enough to untie his sandals. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Parable on the text

The coming of Jesus Christ to the River Jordan to be baptised by John the Baptist who had been preaching about his arrival finally baptised the Lord along with other believers.

Luke presents Jesus as both the promised Saviour of Israel and the Saviour of all people. He records that Jesus was called by the ‘Spirit of the Lord and this gospel is filled with concern for the people. It also announces of the coming of Jesus.

Gwen Herat