Prayer
hour
Independence Day &
Assumption of Bl.Mother
Today the 15th
Aug. has special significance for us Indians as we celebrate twin feasts, which
have the same message of freedom and liberation. For us Christians the
Assumption of Mary is the symbol of our final fulfillment the sin and death, an
affirmation of the final victory of God’s love and his grace. Hence it is
fitting to raise our minds and hearts to God in praise and thanks giving for
the wonderful gifts of our heavenly mother who is the symbol of true freedom.
Sixty years ago on this day India
breathed the air of freedom from darkness to light. Yes, Aug 15th
1947 was a day of great rejoicing for the Indians, a day of new life, a day of
new power and an unforgettable day in the history of India. Freedom from the domination
of others is perhaps one of the most precious gifts a person or nation can
posses.
“
The voice of the mouth is but a sound, the voice of example is a clap of
thunder” says St. Bernard. Dear sisters today we have one more reason to
rejoice, to praise God who celebrate their B’day today. With their exemplary
life of simplicity, creativity and generosity, they bring us joyful notes.
Every flower that blooms and spreads fragrance today sings the melody of
praises to God.
Christ
is the light of faith just as the sun’s rays are the light of our lives. Every
life is meant to be a light to the world. As a sign of welcoming Christ the
light and surrendering ourselves to Him, let us lit the lamp and worship Christ
the only and true source of our freedom.
Lighting the lamp……….
Story
of tree and branches
There was a magnificent tree.
It was sturdy ,graceful and shady. It’s branches laden with fruits and leaves,
were gently swinging in the early morning breeze. One morning the branches
began complaining to the tree. Listen to them talking.
Branch
1. I am not prepared to remain for ever
a mere branch. I want to be a tree like you with roots and trunk. I want to
stand on my own feet and be independent.
Tree: You are part of the tree
as all other branches. You and your leaves swinging in the breeze give us
vibrant beauty and life. All of us together make the tree.
Branch 2: Why should I bear so
many leaves and only a few fruits? I want to have as many fruits as the branch
next to me. It is not fair that I should be treated like this.
Tree: What does it matter if leaves and fruits are
not evenly distributed among the branches? All that belongs to all belongs to
each. If you were not bearing that many leaves there wouldn’t be so many fruits
on the other branches. Don’t forget we all are one single tree.
Branch 3: I am fed up with
having so many flowers. The bees and insects give me no peace. Even passers by
hurt me by taking my flowers away. It is not just. Why should I suffer more
than other branches?
Tree: Darling, beauty goes with
suffering. You are the most beautiful branch. Suffering is the price. Your
flowers are our flowers. Your sufferings are ours. All our leaves and our
fruits are yours too. Remember we all make one tree.
Branch
4: Why should this orchid grow on me?
Why do they rob me of my sap and drain my strength. Why should I only of all
the branches bear this pain and loss? I don’t want to belong to the tree.
Narrator: With great patience and kindness the tree
remarked.
Tree: These precious orchids cannot live with out
us. They need our support and service. They give to our tree an incomparable
beauty and teach us to be generous. It is because of you that all of us all the
branches can show compassion and love to our sisters and brothers in need .It
is we not you, not I , it’s we
altogether we are one.
Dear friends, this tree
symbolizes India our country, which is a home for many cultures, religions,
languages, a sanctuary of natural resources and rich heritage with man power.
True freedom is an inalienable
quality, the more we are free, the more we are human. Jesus invited the
disciple to an inner freedom, total freedom. It is by rejecting the worldly and
transient self we enjoy an authentic humanness. This is relational and open to
the world, creative in terms of insights, initiatives and potentialities. It is
through well discipline and well defined path one reaches the goal.
In fact we may well compare our
Nation to a big Jumbo jet flying through Turbulent weather to a golden
destination. For this flight, a very section of people must be stimulated
together as firmly as various parts of the frame. The strength of the frame is
equal only to the strength of the weakest section of the frame. One little
crack that is a resentful minority would force the Jet to the ground if not
repaired in time .
Let us have a glance at the
symbols place at the back drop. We see a bird in the cage refusing to fly even
thought the door is opened. O n the other side an eagle flying high. What does
it tell me today? Do I really experience that inner freedom likes that of
eagle? A I ready to let go off my comforts and securities of life so that I can
contributes my best to bring freedom? To bring about an authentic human
community. The world is fast moving. What is my responsibility as a religious?
What are the forces that hinders me from being liberated? A I willing to face
the challenges and uncertainties to make a better Nation? Or just satisfied
with present comforts. Today the Lord tells us to let go off ourselves and go
ahead with an unshakeable faith to bring about a liberated people.
History points out that from
time to time there arose individual who dared to think differently. Le us
listen to a few of them who changed the face of our country India with their enthusiasm and
commitment.
A
P J Abdul Kalam:
Former President A P J Abdul
Kalam, is a man of great vision and dreams. He invited the millions in building
of this India
as a developed nation, the greatest nation in the world by 2020, where
governance is responsive, transparent and corruption free. He turned out to be
a people’s president who opened the door of Rashtrapati Bhavan to children,
farmers and the common men. He was a superb communicator. His child like
curiosity, enthusiasm, charm and innocence surprised many and attracted the
youth and children. His sense of purpose and direction-ignited million minds.
His accessibility and openness gave a new vision of accountability to the
highest office of the country. He carved a niche for himself in the minds and
hearts of Indians thought his unassuming nature and great achievements.
Mahatma
Gandhi:
M. Gandhi is the father of our
nation. His sole dreams was to free India our mother land from the
shackles of foreign rule. He did not believe in brutal power, but believed in
the principle of Ahimsa which led him to
the ultimate victory. He was a man of iron will who let go of all his laurels
to identify himself with the common people of India, to share their joys and
sorrows, struggles and hopes, failures and victories. He says “My devotion to
truth has drawn me into the field of politics”. Not only did he fight for
political freedom but also for the moral emancipation of his country from sins
of sloth, cowardice, malice and untouchable ness. Powers and tittles never
attracted him. He preached bravely in the face of danger and offering of one’s
life as a sacrifice for the country. On the midnight of the independence day he
was not celebrating it with national leaders in New Delhi, but was pacifying the Hindu-Muslim
people in the villages of Navaghali. His life itself was his message to the world. What he demanded of
others, he practice in his life. When we turn to Mahatmaji for any answers we
see the funeral pyre which proclaims the message’greter love has no man than
this, that a man lay down his life for his friend(Jn 15;13).
Jawaharlal
Nehru:
Jawaharlal Nehru, builder of republic of India,
making India
the largest democracy in the world, gave the world panchshila- five principles
of peaceful coexistence, an ambassador of international peace and good will. He
was like the face of India,
his ambition height as Himalayes,his affection as deep as the Jamuna and Ganga. Posterity remembers him as a giant for the
greatness of his own faith in man’ if any people choose to think of me, then I
should like them say this was the man who, with all his mind and heart loved India
and Indian people. And they in turn were indulgent to him and gave him of their
love most abundantly and extravagantly’. As a fighter for freedom he was
illustrious, the maker of modern India, his services were
unparalleled. As the great poet he used to say,
The
woods are lovely dark and deep
But
I have promises to keep
And
miles to go before I sleep
Miles
to go before I sleep
Nehru thought of India
where people talked less and worked more, boasted less and battled more,
complained less and accomplished more.
Kiran
Bedi:
Kiran Bedi was born on June 9,
1949 is an excellence tennis player, winning several tournaments, including the
Asian Lawn Tennis championships. She is a brilliant student who earned the
reputation and pride of being the first
woman to graduate from the Indian
Police Academy
obtaining a PhD.
Kiran was given ample
opportunities to utilize her talents and promote her endeavor when, in 1994
after being promoted to the rank of Inspector General of Prison, she was given
the responsibility of managing the notorious prison in the Asian Pacific
Region-Tiahrt Jail in Delhi. Through her actions and measures, Kiran Bedi
proved herself as an excellent Police officer who was responsible for
transforming the lost lives of prisoners and
made their period within the drudged walls bearable. The qualities of
honesty, courage, empathy for fellow humans, strong stand on righteous
principles, hard work, determination and patriotism are the ones that
constitute this woman to actualize her vision. She can be proudly proclaimed as
the woman who scrubbed off the dirt on the khaki uniforms of the police force
by establishing herself and her life as an example worthy to be followed.
Mother
Theresa:
India honored Mother
Theresa, with its highest civilian award Baratratna’ for her selfless service
to the poorest of the poor and the destitute. She made the losers of life; feel
the tenderness of God. She was the lamp of love that transmitted mercy all over
the world. She surrenders herself to God and did every thing for Him in an unshakable.
The dire needs and hardships of people urged her with compassion. What was
especially striking about her was her refusal to complicate. In this thoroughly
political world she stood out for her direct approach to issues of head and
heart. For instance, hungry people to be fed, or dying destitute was to be
first bathed and housed in humane condition. Through out her sixty eight years
of selfless service Mother Theresa said, She did it because she show Jesus in
every face that she fed, clothed, housed or helped to die. He was her greatest
and only inspiration. During her life she never pretended to be His delegate
but merely the sign post that pointed out the path to Him. Mother took a
revolutionary step to go out of her structured security to a future of
uncertainty. This was a radical step in response to a call within the call. Her
motto was fruit of silence is prayer, fruit of prayer is faith, fruit of faith
is love, fruit of love is service, fruit of service is peace.
Blessed Virgin Mary:
B.V Mary was a fully liberated
woman, a model par excellence for us to copy. Mary summarizes her life thought
her magnificat explicating God concern of freedom and independence to every
people. Mary sings of God’s blessings showered on generation after generation.
She realizes and acknowledges her stand in the history of redemption. She was a
person of deep reflection who pondered and handle the strange events with
serenity in coping with the reality. With an attitude to God, she was sensitive
to the needs of others handling diligently every crisis she faced. She was the
woman of the spirit. Assumption is the conclusion of her journey of faith
rewarded by God. Her courage’s standing at the foot of the cross and her
significant presence in the upper room inspiring the nascent church, speak
aloud of her, fidelity to the inner call, fidelity to what the Lord wanted of
her. Let us look in silence with deep affection at this spotless, courageous
and model woman mother Mary.
God sent His beloved son into
this world to lift us from slavery to freedom. Jesus is the liberator who
brings this freedom from the clutches of every evil. Let us now listen to the
word of God.
Reading
the word of God.
Intercessory
prayers.
The citizen of our country
stands in need of the grace of God more than ever to move forward in this
modern era where everyone faces pressers, conflicts, struggles and problems.
Let us place our petition before the Lord.
Concluding
Prayer:
Father most holy, you crowned
BVM with glory beyond compare. Thought the intercessions of our heavenly mother
and patroness of India.
We implore your blessings on our mother land that she may be preserved in its
original beauty, unity among its leaders, brotherhood, peace and justice among
citizens. May your grace be upon us to enlighten our minds and strengthen our
will to free ourselves from destruction, darkness and enslavement of evil? We
make this prayer though Xt our Lord.
Lord Jesus we pray
for sr. Leonila as she celebrates her birth day, thank you lord for her very being
and for the graces and blessings you have showered upon her. Lord We brings her
before you on this special day and prays to lay your loving hands upon her.
Wrap her in the spirit of your love and cover her with the cloak of your
concern lord. May she always experience your guiding and leading presence in
her life? Bless her with good health and strength to continue your mission-let
us pray to the lord.
2) Lord with
grateful heart we remember her family, friends and relatives who played a vital
role in molding her. It is they who sowed and nurtured a deep faith in you. As
we remember them with grateful heart we pray lord bless them with peace,
prosperity, and joy. –let us pray to the lord.
3) We pray for all
the diseased members of sr. Leonia’s family lord, especially we remember her
parents and brothers whom you have called to your eternal bliss. Pardon their
omissions and commissions. We believe that they are with you in heaven and
praying for sr. leonila on this her special day.-let us pray to the lord.
4)lord with love
we remember sr. Apoline as she too
celebrates her birth day today, lord she is a gift to IMD family may she find
true joy and happiness today and the years to come, may she be a blessing to
many. We pray lord, may her family be blessed with double fold, and mission may
be fruitful wherever she is, and bloom ever beautiful- let us pray to the lord.
5) lord we pray for
our church, help pope Benedict 16th , bishops, priests and us
religious to have a open mind and heart to accept the challenges of our time.
May the church always posses the divine and human aspect of Jesus. Let us pray
to the lord.
6) We pray for each
one of us gathered here, bless and help us to experience the joy, love and
peace which you brought to us when you became human being like us. Help us to
experience it in fullness and grant us to spread it wherever we go, and
whomever we meet. Make us heralds of your good-news- let us pray to the lord.
