poem on mother seraphina -our foundress

POEM: ON MOTHER SERAPHINA

The child of Frederic and Ottilia,

Daughter of Francis and Chiara.

The Spouse of Christ Jesus,

And Mother of all of Us.

Commissioned by God from birth,

You travelled the road with faith.

Of being a Missionary to the Forsaken,

And uplift the downtrodden.

You are an Educationist par-excellence,

In removing the ignorance in mind prevalence.

You gave preference to the education of girls,

And formation of the youth above all else.

Your actions flowed from contemplation,

Of Eucharistic Jesus in Adoration.

You send us to set every heart on fire,

With the love of the Eucharistic flare.

You carried the Mysteries till the tomb,

As Mary carried Christ in her womb.

Let not our hearts, hands and feet become tired,

In walking your path with pride.

Sr. Elizabeth Rani cfmss

St. Francis Province

St. Anthony’s convent

Faridabad.

feast of st. clare. intro

FEAST OF ST. CLARE

 It is always spring time in the hearts that love God and that is the reason, there is a fragrant wave pervading everywhere and the rays of gladness penetrating every nook and corner of this holy place. Yes dear friends, there is a throbbing joy and vibrating love enveloping our hearts, as we celebrate the feast of our venerable Mother St. Clare.

                We warmly welcome each one of you Rev. Frs, Srs, and friends to this solemn celebration.

                Clare was the third of 5 children born to a wealthy family of Assisi. The spirit worked within and framed Clare into a most pure Vessel. Docility to her parents, generosity and compassion for the poor and she found joy in prayer, night and day.

                Clare a young girl of nobility and wealth chose most austere poverty and the hidden life of prayer. Her ardent love towards God and towards humankind and every living creature is praise worthy. A motherly person, she was sensitive to every human and divine value and wished to acquire it at any cost.

                It is difficult to determine when and how Clare first met Francis- the popular young man who had turned his back on the military establishment and from the business world, but she probably heard him proclaim his message of penance and peace in the cities of Assisi.

                Even in her youth her attention was directed to the heavenly things. Thus on Palm Sunday March 18, 1212, when all the young ladies of Assisi customarily dressed in their finest and proudly processed to the Bishop for a Palm branch, rather than approaching the Bishop Clare remained in her place, prompting him to come to her. She accepted the Palm of Martyrdom in imitation of the suffering Christ. She was setting out with Christ and as the processional hymn echoed round the church everywhere, it must have lifted Clare’s heart in wave of worshipping love.

                On the following day, she went to Portungula where St. Francis and his brothers received her commitment to follow there in the pursuit of the Gospel life. For at that time mounting the wall of church at St. Damiano, he says ‘ come and help in building of this monastery of St. Damiano, for in  time to come, there will dwell here are ladies by whose marvellous and holy living the Lord will be glorified throughout His holy church.

                Thomas Celano proceeds to praise Clare and her sisters for their seated fort practice of charity, humility, virginity, abstinence, silence, patience and contemplation. Thus the Lady Clare truly shone in untarnished purity entered the brightness of eternal light as patron of Assisi.

                Clare was a strong, thoroughly convinced and heroic woman who would not the let the purity of Fancis’ Charism die, despite of the enormous forces and her own. She is the living witness that strongly shapes the consciousness of the Franciscan family and during that period and becomes a unwrittingly creative inventor of the religious order.

                 Dear friends, as we the sons and daughters celebrate the feast of our Mother Clare, let us ask the same grace from the Lord to follow her footprints, to meet Jesus more closely. Let us pray earnestly for ourselves and for every member of our institutes during this Eucharistic celebration that our mission may be fulfilled and may we have a discerning spirit in all that we do. May our mother Clare, help us to be truly Christ bearers in our daily life, bringing Christ into every sphere of our life and relationships.

short reflection on DIWALI

DIWALI-A FESTIVAL OF LIGHT

The numerous lamps on the altar today, announce to us that we are celebrating DIWALI- the Festival of Lights. Diwali means row of or cluster of lights

            Asthoma sadgamaya

            Tamasoma jyotir gamaya

            Mruthyorma amruthangamaya  - Which means

Lead us Lord from unreal to real

            From darkness to light

            From death to immortality.

The significance of this festival is that good will overcome the evil and Light will overcome the darkness. This celebration reminds us that there is so much good to be done in the lives of the people, at the individual level and so much evil to be overcome at the societal level. Rabindranath Tagore aptly stated “Yours is the light that breaks forth from dark” that very light is Jesus Christ. The very existence of Jesus in this world gives light and illumines the darkness.

            Light by nature spreads brightness, it banishes darkness, does not add to the existing darkness. Light also brings warmth and joy and in many cases it is known to heal as well.

            There is a light that shines beyond all things on earth. This is the light that shines in our hearts. God is that light. He is the source of all lights and the whole world is illumined with His own light. Jesus Himself testified to the people that I am the light of the world and the Gospel proclaims that the light of lights has appeared and manifested itself in the human flesh of Jesus. Jesus is the dazzling li8ght who enlightens everyone coming into the world. Christ who proclaimed Himself as the light of the world, has also told us, “you are the light of the world, He has called us from darkness into His own marvellous light.” As we are called to be the bearers of light, let us take part in this Eucharistic meal, much more meaning fully, promising to god that we will become light to others and join with all our brethren in celebrating this festival and pray for each other.

eucharist and the charism and mission of cfmss

EUCHARIST AND MISSION

EUCHARIST

Eucharist is the source and summit of Church’s being and doing. The Eucharist draws together in fraternal union and communion, all those who share and are nurtured at the table of the Lord. In the Eucharist, Christ unites us to Himself and to the Father and the community members with the binding force of divine life and love. This life and love of the Triune God is poured into us through Christ’s Eucharistic flesh and blood. It unites the worshiping community vertically with God and horizontally among themselves by the bond of mutual love. Hence Eucharist is the meeting place of the divine and human, Gospel and culture, faith and Charity.

                Eucharist is the Mystery of Mysteries. It is the Zenith of God’s love; A Sacrificial love, An Eternal love, An Everlasting love, A Merciful love, An Unconditional love and it is a school of love for neighbours. It is a place where one learns to love God and to love his neighbour. It is a place where one learns to love God and serve His people.

                “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son” (Jn 3:17).

 Love was the basic spirituality for Jesus’ being and doing.

·         It was Love that made the Divine – the Second person of the Trinity to assume human condition.

·         It was Love that made him to live 30 years of hidden life in loving obedience to his human parents.

·         It was love that made him to cure the sick

·         It was love that made him to raise the dead

·         It was love that impelled him to heal the blind and deaf.

·         It was love that impelled him to forgive sinners

·         It was his unbounded love for the humanity that made him willingly accept the cross of Redemption.

·         At the Zenith of his love, before leaving the earth, Jesus celebrated the meal of love with his beloved one’s and thus instituted the Eucharist.

This meal of love is commemorated from dusk to dawn in different parts of the world by his chosen ministers. Therefore,

It is Eucharist which gives us identity as Christians.

It is Eucharist that gives identity as his followers and

It is Eucharist that gives identity as cfmss. For without Christ there is no Eucharist and without Eucharist no Christians and all the more, without Eucharist, no cfmss.

                Jesus in the Eucharist was the be-all and end–all of Mother Seraphina. Eucharist was Mother Seraphina’s treasure and delight on earth. She was drawn to it like a magnet to its centre and her whole life was centered around the Eucharist. Her first thought on waking was Jesus in the tabernacle and her last gaze was turned to the lord present in the tabernacle, whose boundless love she had experienced during the day.

                The Eucharistic Jesus was her light in the hours of gloom and darkness.

The Eucharistic lord was her strength in times of doubt and confusion and her stronghold in moments of weakness and suffering.

                Mother Seraphina has placed the Eucharist as the badge and distinguishing mark of her Institute. She wanted her daughter to be known by their ardent and vibrant love for the Eucharist. We need to live by the Eucharist and draw strength for our life from the Eucharist. Hence, Eucharist plays a central role in the life and activities of the cfmss.

Mission

                Mission is the expansion of the love we celebrate or the love we experience at every Eucharist, to those whom we came in contact in our workplaces. We are called to put into action, the sacrificial love, eternal love, the merciful love and the forgiving and healing love of Jesus in our day to day living. Therefore, mission at once is the passion for Jesus, our spouse and passion for his people. It is an expression of our love for God and love for our neighbour.

                Mission is God’s. Our participation in the mission is a participation in the movement of God towards humanity. We become his agents in carrying out his mission. We become his hands to heal others. We become his mouth pieces in proclaiming his words. We become his agents to raise the dead. We become his co-workers in building up God’s kingdom and We become Christ to those whom we serve. We love god through our neighbours. We serve God through our neighbours. We see the face of Jesus in whom we serve. He becomes alive in those whom we serve. Henceforth, our lives become a living Eucharist, celebrated in love for others.

Our Eucharistic – Missionary Charism:

                The Charism handed on to us by our venerable Mother Seraphina is Eucharistic – Missionary Charism- Which means to live Eucharistic centred life and to be a missionary. The twin dimensions of the Charism, calls us to contemplate the Eucharistic Lord, foster intimacy with Jesus and carry his love to all. Both the Eucharistic and missionary aspects interpenetrate and mutually imply each other. In fact like two sides of the same coin, they are inseparably connected. The former points out the later. (i.e.) going out to love and serve the Eucharistic Lord after being strengthened by His love.

                To enkindle each heart with the flame of Christ’s love was the dream and goal of Mother Seraphina. Hence, she handed down to her daughters the evangelical mandate to proclaim the good news through our life and to carry the compassionate, merciful love of the Eucharistic Jesus to the people of every land. (Ez: 34:16)

                As a missionary the cfmss are sent to the world to carry the compassionate love of Christ and intimate love of the father. We must preach Christ’s merciful love through the sermon of our very life.

                The Eucharistic Missionary Charism handed down to us is the distinctive character of the cfmss. Our institute will never be able to bear abundant fruits unless it stays firmly rooted in the spirit and charism of our Venerable Foundress.

                Hence, we are called upon to keep its originality with fresh initiatives and careful reading of the signs of the time, without departing from the initial inspiration. Therefore, we must take care that we preserve our identity as Eucharistic missionaries. Our Charism is not a treasure to be buried but it has to be preserved and fostered through a constant re-examination of our fidelity to the Lord and docility to the Spirit.

Eucharist and Mission are inseparable parts of each other. They are like two sides of the same coin.

jubilee intro2

INTRODUCTION

With immense joy and great pleasure I am here on behalf of St. Francis Province to welcome you all to the jubilee celebration of our beloved sisters.

Good morning and a warm welcome  Your Grace, Most Rev. Anil J.T. Couto the Archbishop of Delhi, Rev. Fathers, Sisters & Brothers, dear and near ones of our Jubilarians and dear friends,

“What thanks can I render Thee, for the gifts thou hast showered on me.”

These words of the psalmist, spring forth from the hearts of our Silver Jubilarians - Sisters Smitha (who is away in Rome for her studies), Swati, Sushma, Sunanda, Sanjana & Sitilin as they recall the bounties of the Lord for the past 25 years that they have spent in the vineyard of the Lord, and the Golden Jubilarians - Sisters Igina, Henrica, Gemma, Gilbertha, Leonarda, Edwarda, Clelia, Felicita,  Mary Peter, Dominica, Flavia, Gabriela, Ferdinanda and Jacinta for the past 50 years the Lord has been walking with them.

Jubilee is the celebration of the unfathomable love and faithfulness of God, especially in the ups and downs, success and failures, joys and sorrows of one’s life. When we consider a commitment of twenty five or fifty years to any unique lifestyle, that milestone is rare, if ever reached. Thank God you have made it with the Lord’s assistance. Today we celebrate the gift of you, your religious vocation, and your life of service; but above all, we celebrate God, His faithfulness and mercy which has been the anchor of your religious life. God did not see your ability or the lack of it, but your availability to fulfill your role in building His kingdom. We appreciate your commitment and dedication for the past 25/50 beautiful years of vowed life. Your deep faith has enabled you to live your “yes” in a variety of roles which you fulfilled with dedication and responsibility. You are precious to God and to us and we thank you for your generous service to the people of God and to the mission of the Church.

On this day we remember your parents who generously made the sacrifice of offering you to God’s service. We pray for all the members of your family and all those who are dear and near to you. It is, indeed, a family reunion for you, wrapped in the intimate embrace of love and support from your siblings.  Yes dear sisters, this day is set apart by the Lord for each one of you to look back and count the shining silvery years of hope, or the gleaming golden years of strength. Let us make present in today’s Eucharistic celebration all those who have been a part of our dear sisters’ life and those whose lives they have touched, especially the poor and the marginalized. May the Holy Spirit continue to set you on fire with love and zeal for the glory of God and the salvation of His people!

 With the warm wishes and sentiments of love let us partake in this solemn thanksgiving Eucharistic Celebration and pray for our jubilarians, their dear and near ones and their mission ahead. 

intercessary prayer for the departed soul of...

Intercessory prayers

FOR MOTHER WHO DIED.

Lord we pray for the departed soul of mrs. Monica Dominic (Fr. Biju’s mother) Lord she had played her earthly role to the best way she could….

She had been a good daughter to her parents,

She had been a good sister to her siblings,

She had been a loving wife to her husband,

She had been a loving and caring mother to all her children,

She had been a caring grandmother to all her grandchildren,

She had been a source of blessings to her family and to all who came in contact with her.

 Lord She had been an agent of your love,

An agent of your mercy,

An agent of your healing and

An agent of your service.

Now as you have called her to your abode, we humbly ask you Lord, may all her sins be washed away in the ocean of your Love. May all her human mistakes be over looked with your merciful eye and may she be counted, one among all your angels and saints….. For this let us pray to the lord.

FOR THE GRIEVING FAMILY MEMBERS FR.

Lord, we pray for the grieving family members and relatives of Fr. Biju. The loss of one member among them has a great impact.

 She cannot be replaced by anyone else.

 Her absence cannot be accepted.

She has left behind the marks of her love,

 The marks of her care,

The marks of her concern,

 The marks of her thoughtfulness,

The marks of her healing and

 The marks of her service.

 Lord today we offer this grieving family of our father in your loving care. Lord console them and comfort them. Strengthen them in your love, especially lord strengthen the father of Fr. Biju.

 May he accept this loss with your help. Comfort him lord in his time of loneliness. May all of them be richly blessed by the heavenly intercession of Mrs. Monica. For this let us pray to the Lord.

FOR FR. BIJU( our parishpriest)

EUCHARISTIC Lord, we pray especially for our dear fr. Biju and the new mission entrusted to him as the shepherd of your flock here in Faridabad.

Lord you have blessed him in abundance. You have blessed him with enough blessings and graces.

You have blessed him with enough capabilities and capacities,

You have blessed him with enough intelligence and knowledge,

You have blessed him with enough will power and far sightedness.

We are grateful to you Lord for all these…. But today Lord we surrender him once again in your loving care. We surrender his strengths and weaknesses. Lord you know him through and through. Take care of him Lord, guide him and lead him. Be with him always lord.

Lord May you be his guide in his time of confusion,

May you be his strength in his time of weakness,

May you be his consolation, in his time of weariness,

May you be his comfort, in his time of tiredness,

May you be his companion in his time of loneliness

May you be his health in his time of sickness,

May you be his true friend, in his time of disappointment,

May you be his true source of joy and contentment in his life that he may accomplish your mission with your, all powerful help. For this let us pray to the Lord.

jubilee introdution

BRIEF INTRODUCTION

My soul glorifies the Lord..

My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour…

Today along with the Blessed Virgin Mary who marveled at the works of God through her great magnificat, we the CFMSS family in India are, marveling at the marvelous works of God, Joyously beholding the blessings of the Lord, Enthusiastically singing the praises of the Lord, Gratefully thanking the greatness of the Lord and speculating at the wonders God has done in the lives of our sisters for the past 25 silver years and 50 golden years of grace.

An important aspect of the Religious life is the celebration of milestones, such as silver and golden jubilee of religious profession. This is a time of remember and rejoice, rejuvenate and renew the commitment that has been such an important part of the life of the sister and the congregation.

Today we the CFMSS family has chosen this day, to celebrate the gift of these our sisters… Smitha, Swati, Sushma, Sunanda, Sanjana and Sitilin Who celebrate their Silver Jubilee and our sisters Henrica, Gemma, Gilbertha, Leonarda, Clelia, Felicita, Dominica, Igina, Edwarda, Mary Peter, Flavia, Gabriela, Ferdinanda and Jacinta, who celebrate their Golden Jubilee..

We are here to thank them with sincere heart for sharing their life with us and being part of this cfmss family

We are here to thank the good and mighty Lord for the beautiful gift of their vocation to this institute and for the church…

We are here to acknowledge and celebrate their dedication and commitment through these many years…

We are here to express our love, appreciation and thanks to our dear sisters for all that they have accomplished in the vineyard of the Lord, in different places of our country and to people of varied cultures….

We are here to thank them for their contribution in building God’s Kingdom…

We are here to celebrate the unique way in which each one of them had been part of God’s plan in the development of the Institute and our own Respective Provinces,

Yes it’s indeed an occasion of great celebration…

It’s indeed a moment of grace…

It’s indeed a memorable day to cherish.

This special event has filled the atmosphere of this place with gratitude, praise and thanksgiving to God the Almighty.

On this auspicious day when the atmosphere around us is in the mood of jubilation and exultation, I stand here  on behalf of Rev. Sr. Joyce Thadathil our Provincial Superior and her Council members and all the members of St. Francis Province India to welcome you all, for  the jubilee celebration of these our beloved sisters.

I humbly acknowledge the benign presence of our beloved Arch Bishop, Most Rev. Dr. Anil J. T. Couto, who consented to preside over this Holy Eucharist for us and bring down the heavenly blessings upon us. We welcome you, Your Grace.

I also extend a warm welcome to all the Con-Celebrants, who have come from far and near to be part of this celebration. We welcome you dear fathers.

This day is blessed by the graceful presence of the parents, brothers, sisters and relatives of our Jubilarians. We extend a hearty welcome to each of them.

The presence of our sisters from far and near and from our neighboring communities, have added colour to the day. We welcome you dear sisters, especially we welcome dear Rev. Sr. Deepika, the Provincial Superior of Mother Seraphina Province North East and her council members and Dear Rev. Sr. Arthi, the Provincial Superior of St. Clare’s Province, Clement Town- Dehradun and her council members. Welcome dear sisters.

Last but not the least, I welcome each and every one of you present here, who made it to be part of today’s celebration, dear fathers, brothers, friends, benefactors, well wishers and acquaintances. We welcome you all.

Welcoming you all with cheerful heart, I now request you all to stand up in unison and welcome these wise Virgins, who are found watchful till today by the Lord, as they approach the altar with their lamps lit and are been accompanied by their Bride Groom-Jesus, to the altar, along with the rhythmic steps of the dancers……

farewell mass introduction for fr..

FARE WELL MASS INTRODUCTION FOR FR.

Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in God. (Ps 34:8)

           

Yes dear friends, today we have gathered in the presence of the Lord to taste the hidden sweetness of the Lord and to thank the Lord for the person of our dear Fr. Ravi. Innumerable are the graces that the Lord has showered on you dear father and uncountable are the blessings that we have received through you for the past five years.

            Yes dear father, you were not only a priest, who fulfilled our spiritual needs but you are a member of our family, whose presence we always felt in all our undertakings.

·         You were a brother to us in walking our steps

·         You were a friend to us in shouldering our responsibilities,

·         You were a leader in guiding us

·         You were a teacher in imparting the truths of the Gospel, through your experienced preaching,

·         You were an example in living our consecrated life

·         You were an inspiration to be energetic and be available to all,

·         You were a stimulus to us to be enthusiastic to do the service of God

·         You were a model to us for prayer

Above all dear father you were……………………..

Simple in Attitude

Humble in Behaviour

Serene in Nature

Gentle in Approach

Genuine in loving

Sincere in Dealing,

Vibrant in Preaching
 Eager in Praying

Generous in Giving,

Youthful in Thinking,

Example in Living,

Enthusiastic in Serving,

Energetic in shouldering responsibilities … above all

A medium of Heavenly Blessings to all of us.

Yes dear father…. This is what you were to us… if we keep on adding, it will be numberless.

As only few days are left for leaving this beautiful and cherished place, we want to tell you dear father that, we all love you, will remember you fondly and will pray for you always.

Dear Fr. ……

            In life some people know you,

            Some people remember you,

Some people like you

Some people understand you,

Some people care for you… but

Those who love you does all the above and always hopes the best for you.

             This we assure you dear father. May the best of God’s choicest blessings be yours, always and everywhere. You have given your best here and now God wants some other people, in different place, in different parish, in different mission, to experience the same of what we have experienced here.

Yes dear father…

            Someone needs your SMILE

            Someone needs your LISTENING EAR

            Someone needs your ENCOURAGEMENT and gentle words of cheer

Someone needs your HELPING HAND,

Someone needs your CHEERFULNESS TO make their life brighten up.

So go to the destined place as a representative of God.

Today in this Eucharistic Celebration, we all of us pray for you and for your mission’

            May God give you a rainbow in every storm,

            Smile in every tear,

            Promise in every care,

Blessing in every trial …and

            An answer in every prayer.

God bless you now and always, here and everywhere. May your mission flourish with God’s grace.

Praying for these intentions and specially praying for all the intentions of our dear father, let us partake in this Eucharistic Celebration.

            

special adoration for 31st december

Adoration for 31^st December.

Every day God thinks of you…

Every hour God looks after you…

Every minute God cares for you… because

Every second He loves you…..

Yes dear friends…

·         God loves us so much that, he wants to be with us…

·         God loves us so much that, that He became one among us..

·         God loves us so much that, that He left His heavenly throne and is here with us in this small form of Bread.

·         God loves us so much that, He left the adoration and Veneration by the Angels and Saints and is waiting here to be adored by us, the human beings, the weak and fragile human beings, the unfaithful and unworthy human beings…

Yes dear friends, come let us adore him, let us worship Him, let us Glorify Him, let us Praise Him and let us Thank Him.

SONG….sthuthi karthi hum

            

Jesus before leaving this earth promised to send us a helper, the Holy Spirit, who will teach us everything. Now let us invoke the assistance of the Holy Spirit that the Holy Spirit may help us to pray during this hour. (Kindly repeat this prayer after me)

O Holy Spirit, come fill our hearts with your holy gifts.

Penetrate our weakness with your strength.

O Holy Spirit, fill us with your love, that we may love everyone.

Assist us, O Holy Spirit, in all the trials of life,

Enlighten us in our ignorance,

Advise us in our doubts,

Strengthen us in our weakness,

Help us in all our needs,

Protect us against all temptations,

Console us in our afflictions,

Graciously hear us, O Divine Spirit and

Pour out your light into our minds, into our wills and into our hearts...

Help us to live a holy life and

To grow in goodness and grace. Amen.

SONG….pavithr aathma mere jeevan Mei Thu ab aaja pavithr aathma….

We have arrived at the last hour of this day..

We have come to the last hour of this month…

We are here at the last hour of this year-2016 and

We are here to step into the first hour of the uncertain New Year-2017.

            Yes dear friends…. When those in the world, even many of our own friends, loved ones, colleagues and others whom we are acquainted, wants to spend this last hour of the year in celebration, in partying, in big big Malls, in Clubs, we have decided to dedicate this hour to the Lord, to spend this hour in His presence.

Yes, let not lose sight of the graces and blessings that the Lord is yet to shower upon us during this hour.

Let us thank Him today for this entire, beautiful year, with its ups and downs

With its blessings and curses

With its dusks and dawns..

With its graces and disgraces

With its successes and failures

With its accomplishments and inabilities..

Let’s thank Him sufficiently for all things we have received from the hand of God,,

Let us thank Him aptly.. Because the graces we have received during this year-2016…THE YEAR OF MERCY are innumerable.. They are uncountable.

(After each prayer let us say together LORD WE THANK YOU).

·         When life around us seems to be frightening, confused, doubtful, disturbed, the Lord cared for us throughout this year-2016…let us thank Him…. LORD WE THANK YOU

·         When the world around us is starving for love and care and when it is longing for warmth of friendship and family the Lord has blessed us with loving parents, affectionate children, supporting friends, where we feel secure… let us thank Him.. LORD WE THANK YOU

·         When there are many who sleep on the road sides, streets, railway stations etc. without homes, the lord has sheltered us with beautiful house to live in… let us thank Him.. LORD WE THANK YOU

·         When the are many who die daily due to illness, accidents, heart attacks, sudden and unpredicted deaths, our God has sustained us from all these misfortunes and gave us life… let us thank Him.. LORD WE THANK YOU

·         When there are many who are jobless and penniless, and struggling to live their day-to-day life, God has blessed us with good job.. Let us thank Him.. LORD WE THANK YOU

·         When we fell on our face in weakness, in shame and in failure, the Lord gently set us upon our feet again… let us thank Him.. LORD WE THANK YOU

·         Even though we were a broken piece, God has created us a vessel of beauty and usefulness.. Let us thank Him.. LORD WE THANK YOU

·         Through trials and errors, failures and success God has cared for us.. Let us thank Him.. LORD WE THANK YOU

·         God’s love has led us through the valleys of sorrows and the highlands of joys… let us thank Him.. LORD WE THANK YOU

·         God has kept us safe in the stormy past, in times of want and in times of abundance… let us thank Him.. LORD WE THANK YOU

·         At this juncture, God has given us the hope and the faith the HE will guide us through the perilous future and we need not be afraid, no matter how uncertain the days, the months, the years ahead of us,, let us thank Him.. LORD WE THANK YOU

** Now let us personally, in silence thank the Lord for all the graces we have received during this year 2016

**Having thanked the Lord personally, let us thank him together as we say together 3 times loudly  LORD WE THANK YOU

SONG…prabhu ka dhanyavaad karunga..

ASKING FORGIVENESS;

God’s love is like a protective cloak around me...

He holds me close to His heart, like a father holds his child…

Whatever may happen….

His love for me will not change...

If I can’t see him. Or

If I cannot hear Him, it is because

I am not looking for Him,

I am not listening to Him… for

He is there close to me

Close to my heart.

Yes dear friends……

Even though God is with us always and at every moment, there were times when we were very sad, at times we were lonely, at times we were friendless, at times we were for lone, at times we felt like running away somewhere far, at times we felt like even ending the God given life,,,,, why??????

Yes, the reason is……..

·         It was not because God was not with us but we were not with God..

·         It was not because God was not close to us but we were not close to God..

·         It was not because God did not love us but we refuse experience His love..

·         It was not because God left our side but we failed to be on His side

·         WE HAVE DISTANCED GOD FROM OUR LIFE….

AS THE Scripture says, “If you cannot love the human beings whom you can see, you cannot love God whom you cannot see.”

Yes….

·         We distanced God from our life, when we did not love our brothers and sisters genuinely.

·         We distanced God from our life, when did not accept others as they are..

·         We distanced God from our life, when we hurt others with our words and deeds and when we were hurt by others.

·         We distanced God from our life, when did not forgive others and kept the grudge within us..

·         We distanced God from our life, when we remained without talking to others for years..

·         We distanced God from our life, when we did not help others when they were in need of helping hand..

·         We distanced God from our life, when we did not visit our brothers and sisters and our neighbours when the were sick and hospitalized..

·         We distanced God from our life, when we did not obey the Commandments of the Lord..

·         We distanced God from our life, when we did not spare our little to spend with the Lord, to go church and for the church activities..

·         We distanced God from our life, when we did not listen to the whisperings of the Lord to do good..

·         We distanced God from our life, when we blamed God and blamed others for every misfortunes that happened in our life.

Yet in all these, God’s love for you is the same. He loves you and me unconditionally. For Him, the gravity of our sin doesn’t matter to Him anymore!!! What matters to Him the most is our contrite heart, our repentant heart and our humble heart. Come dear friends let’s go to the Lord of Mercy.

In silence let us pardon from the Lord and from one another for all our ill feelings towards oneself, towards one another and towards God Himself, for a few seconds

SONG….  Annunay vinay karthi hum Mei….

WELCOMING THE NEW YEAR

We are here at the threshold of the New Year 2017.

·         A year with uncertainties and new possibilities

·         A year with varied opportunities and innumerable activities..

·         A year which would unfold to us new horizons, new relations, new friends, new families, new jobs, fresh carriers, friendly calibres, fresh hopes and renewed strengths..

Yes, the threshold is open to us…

All that matters is HOW we take the first step???

Where we take the first step and with whom we take the first step?????

** come let us take our first step of this new year with the Lord, in His presence…..

*** let us place before the Eucharistic Lord this entire year 2017, all the activities that we are going to do, the resolutions that we have taken to be a good human beings, the planning’s for the year, our own work places, the persons whom we interact daily, our family members, the young and the old, the sick and the healthy, the weak and the strong, our own parish community, our parish priest and our assistant parish priest, the children of our parish, the youth of our parish, our diocese, our church, our country and the world at large and pray for them now.(after each prayer our response shall be LORD HEAR OUR PRAYER)

1.      Lord give us a grateful heart that is capable of counting the many blessings of life. May we look at the positive things in life and praise you. Let us pray to the Lord

2.      Father giver of all life. We pray for all those who abuse or destroy life. Give them the grace to appreciate the gift of life and protect it at all cost. Let us pray….

3.      Jesus came to lead all people to the Kingdom of God so that no one is left isolated. May our life and mission here at Faridabad include all the people especially the rejected, the unloved, the unwanted and those abandoned by the society,. May everyone feel loved and cared for, through our ministry. Let us pray…

4.      For pope… bishops, priests and religious

5.      For our parish and parish priests

6.      For all the families in our parish..

7.      For all those who are beginning a new life..

8.      For all who are sick and suffering in the parish,,

9.      For our country..

10.  For the world..

11.  For the deceased..

Offering all these our prayers that are expressed and those that are unexpressed, placing all of them at the feet of the Lord, asking His graces and blessings for this year, let us together say the prayer which our lord has taught us.

OUR FATHER…

Let us pray…

God our creator and father, forgive us for the gifts we have wasted.

Convert our destructive power into a creative force.

Heal our wounded spirits..

O Liberating God, release us from evil tendencies and from all that blinds us..

Cleanse our hearts from deep within..

Help us to be open to your surprises in our lives and

Help us to live each day happily..

We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen

SONG.. MEI KABHI THUHARA SAATH,, NAA CHHODUNGA

As we conclude this hour of prayer, God’s message for us is…

Don’t expect anything in your life…

Expectation hurts a lot.

When you don’t expect…

Every moment is a surprise and

Every surprise brings happiness.

Once again

We Wish U all  A
Jovial JANUARY

Fabulous FEBRUARY

Marvelous MARCH

Awesome APRIL

Meaningful MAY

Joyous JUNE

Jubilant JULY

Amazing AUGUST

Successful September

Optimistic OCTOBER

Nurturing NOVEMBER

Divine DECEMBER.

Have A VICTORIOUS NEW YEAR 2017!

*** lets all kneel down for the benediction hymn.