BIRTHDAY PRAYER SERVICE- 9

YOU ARE THE INTRICATE WORK OF GOD’S LOVE

Let me start again-----hymn.

Introduction:

               One morning the angels realized that God is going to perform a great work. They anxiously waited to see what is going to happen. They even had an argument among them on this issue. Some said, he is going to create a new star, some said, no, He is going to build a nation, some had the opinion that He is going to perform a great miracle, that was to create a human being, who will be called …., the daughter, of Mr.& Mrs.                    Yes, dear sisters, today we are here this morning to celebrate the great miracle, which God had performed many years ago.

                 We thank God too, for the gift of life to Sr. .. who also celebrates her birthday today. For all that she is to her family, Congregation and to this community at CFMSS. We thank and praise you Lord.

We invite sisters .. and … to light the lamp.

Pause

We shall now pay careful attention to a story being enacted.

The Island feelings

Once upon a time there was an Island where all the feelings lived. Happiness, sadness, richness, vanity, love and others include knowledge. One day it was announced to them all, that the Island was going to sink to the bottom of the ocean. So all the feelings prepared their boats to leave. Love was the only one that stayed. She wanted to preserve the Island paradise until the last possible moment.

When the Island was almost totally under, love decided it was time to leave. She began looking for someone to ask for help. Just then richness was passing by in a grant boat. Love asked, richness, could I come with you on your boat? Richness answered, “ I am sorry, there is silver and gold in my boat and there would be no room for you anywhere.

Then love decided to ask vanity for help who was passing in beautiful vessel. Love cried out, “Vanity, help me please?” “I cannot help you, vanity said, you are all wet and will damage my beautiful boat.”

Next, love saw sadness passing by. Love said, “Sadness please let me go with you.” Sadness answered, “ Love I am sorry, I just need to be alone now.”

Then love saw happiness. Love cried out, “Happiness please take me with you.” But happiness was so overjoyed that he didn’t hear love calling out to him. Love began to cry.

Then she heard a voice say, “ Come love I will take you with me.” It was an elder. Love felt so blest and overjoyed that she forgot to ask the elder his name. When they arrived on land the elder went on his way. Love realized how much she owed the elder.

Love then found knowledge and asked, “ Who was it that helped me?” “ It was time,” Knowledge answered. But why did time help me when no one else would? Love asked. Knowledge smiled and with deep wisdom and sincerity answered: Because only time is capable of understanding how great love is.

Hymn  “I can feel …….”

Each of us has seen how all his companions rejected love that wanted to preserve the Island. Finally it was time only who understood the importance of love.

Yes; dear sisters the reason for today’s celebration is non other than the unconditional love of the parents of Sr…

The love that had been poured into their hearts by God has been nurtured and fostered by the members of the family. Thus making them what they are today. Love is the only virtue that surpasses all understanding. It is this love that has enabled sisters …become new stars and the miracle of God’s creation thus enhancing them be active instruments in building the nation.

Dear sisters our hearts want to tell you that God created you and only you there is and they will never be another you in all eternity. He has made you with all the essentials of a human being that is with feelings, emotions, knowledge etc..  Yet in His unconditional love for you he has a great plan, which you have to fulfill. Jesus now expresses in this hymn “Dooja Nahin Koi…” which means there is no one like you and this is the truth.

Let us now listen to a parable

One day a man punished his young daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he was furious when the child tried to decorate the box Nevertheless the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morn and said, “ This is for you Dad.” He was embarrassed by the earlier over reaction, but his anger flared again when he found the box was empty. He yelled at her, “ Don’t you know when you give someone a present there’s suppose to be something inside it?”

His daughter looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said “ Oh, Daddy, It’s not empty I blew kisses   into the box. All for you, daddy. The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her forgiveness.

As years passed this girl got married and left to her husbands home. Her Father yet continued to keep the golden box by his bed for many years, Whenever he was discouraged he would take out and imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

In a very real sense each of us have been given a gold container filled with unconditional love, love and kisses from our friends our family and from God. There is no more precious position any one could hold.

Sr. ...., you have been instrumental in the lives of many formators who’s lives you have enriched by your very presence and interaction. Today it is you who are alive in their hearts and minds.

Psalm    105

How great is my God,

And how I love to sing His praises!

Whereas I am often frightened when I think about the future,

And confused and disturbed

By the rapidly changing events about me,

My heart is secured and made glad

When I remember how He has cared for me

Throughout the past.

When I was brought forth from my mother’s womb,

God’s hand was upon me.

Through parents and people, who cared, He loved and sheltered me

And set me upon His course for my life.

Through illness and accident my God has sustained me.

Around pitfalls and precipices He has safely led me.

When I became rebellious and struck out on my own,

He waited patiently for me to return.

When I fell on my face in weakness and failure,

He gently set me upon my feet again.

He did not always prevent me from Hurting myself,

But He took me back to heal my wounds.

Even out of the broken pieces of my defeats

He created a vessel of beauty and usefulness.

Through trials and errors, failures and success.

Through trails and errors, failures and successes,

My God has cared for me.

From infancy to adulthood He has never let me go.

His love has led me- or followed me-

Through the valleys of sorrow

And the highlands of joy,

Through times of want and years of abundance.

He has bridged impassable rivers

And moved impossible mountains.

Sometimes through me, Sometimes in spite of me,

He seeks to accomplish His purposes in my life.

He has kept me through the stormy past;

He will secure and guide me

Through the perilous future.

I need never be afraid,

No matter how and uncertain the months or years ahead of me.

How great is my God,

And how I love to sing His praises!