அமுதா-பிரபு மணவிழா

திருப்பலி வரவேற்பு:

பாசமிக்க அருட்பணியாளர்களே, நேசமிக்க உற்றார் உறவினர்களே, நண்பர்களே, இம்மணவிழா நாயகன்-நாயகி அமுதா-பிரபு செல்வங்களே உங்கள் ஒவ்வொருவருக்கும் எமது இதயம் நிறைந்த வாழ்த்துக்களும் வணக்கமும்...

மணக்கோலம் பூண்டு பூரித்து நிற்கும் இவ்விளம் தம்பதியினருக்கு இன்றைய நாள் கனவு நனவாகும் நாள், காதல் கைகூடும் நாள், கடவுள் நிச்சயித்து ஆசீர்வதித்த நாள். இப்போது இறைமக்களாகிய நமது ஆசீருக்காக வேண்டி நிற்கின்றார்கள்... அவர்களுக்காக ஜெபிப்போம், அவர்களை வாழ்த்துவோம்...

பரிசுகள் என்பது பலவகை. ஆனால் ஒரு இளைஞனுக்கு, இளம் பெண்ணுக்கு அது கடவுள் தேர்ந்து தரும் வாழ்க்கை துனையைவிட மேல் வேறெதுவாகும்? "மனைவி/கணவன் அமைவதெல்லாம் இறைவன் கொடுத்த வரம்" என்று கவிஞன் பாடியது அதனால்தான்போலும்! அத்தகைய பெரும் பேறை இவர்களுக்கு அளித்த அன்பிறைவனுக்கு நன்றி பலியாக இத்திருப்பலியை நிறைவேற்றி இவர்களை வாழ்த்துவோம்.

இவர்கள் குடும்ப வாழ்க்கை அன்பு, பண்பு, பாசம், நேசம் போன்ற அழகு கற்களால் கட்டப்பட்டு , உயிரெனும் தியாகத்தால் ஊட்டம்பெற்ற உயிர் ஓவியம்போல் திகழ இவர்களுடன் நாமும் சேர்ந்தே ஜெபிப்போம், இவர்களை வாழ்த்துவோம். இவ்வரிய நிகழ்வுக்கு வருகை தந்த உங்கள் ஒவ்வொருவரையும் இத்திருப்பலிக்கு வரவேற்று விடைபெறுகின்றேன்...

காணிக்கை பவனி

தீபம்:
இனியநல் தேவனே, இருளில் இருந்து ஒளியை தோன்ற்றசெய்த அன்பு தெய்வமே, இருள் நிறைந்த எங்கள் உள்ளத்தில் உமது ஞானம் எனும் ஒளியை ஏற்றி கடவுளின் மட்சிமையாகிய அறிவொளியை எங்கள் இதயங்களில் பிரகாசிக்க செய்து, இத்தம்பதியினரும் தீபம்போல் ஒளிபெற்று இறை மாட்சிமையில் இடம்பிடக்கவும் இத்தீபத்தை உம்திருமுன் அர்ப்பணிக்கின்றோம், ஏற்றருள்வாய் இறைவா...

மலர்கள்:
இனியநல் தேவனே, கதிரவன் தோன்றும் முன் மொட்டுக்கள் வாய் திறந்து நறுமணமெனும் வார்த்தையாலும் அழகான தன் வாழ்வாலும் இறைபீடத்தை அலங்கரித்து உம்மை போறறுகின்றது, மனிதனை மகிழ்விக்கின்றது. இந்த மலருக்கு இணையான இந்த மங்கை யார்மடி பிறந்தாலும், அந்த தாய் மடி மறந்து, தலைவனை சேர்ந்து நறுமணமென இயேசுவுக்கு , சாட்சியாக இறை இல்லமாம் இந்த இனிய நல் ஆலயத்தில் இம்மலர்களோடு இந்த மணமக்களையும் அர்ப்பணிக்கின்றோம், ஏற்றிடுவீர் இறைவா...

திரு விவிலியம்:
ஆதியில் வாக்கு இருந்தது... அனைத்தும் அவரால் உண்டாயின... அவரிடம் வாழ்வு இருந்தது... இதை கற்றறியசெய்த விவிலியம் வாழ்க. வாழ்வு வழங்கும் வள்ளலாம் இறைமகன் அன்பின் கட்டளைகளையும், நற்பண்புகளையும் நமக்கு உணரவைத்தது இவ்விவிலியமே. இத்தமப்தியினரும் தம் இல்லத்தில் விவிலியத்தை தீபமென ஏற்றி நாள் ஒரு அதிகாரமேனும் வாசித்து அதை வாழ முயன்று இறை ஆட்சியில் பங்களிக்க வேண்டி இத்திரு விவிலியத்தை அர்ப்பணிக்கின்றோம், ஏற்றிடுவீர் இறைவா...

அப்பம் :
கோதுமை மணி அரைந்து மாவாக்கப்பட்டு தூய நற்கருணை அப்பமாவதுபோல் நாமும் உடைந்து ஆன்ம பலிக்கான அப்பமாக அரைக்கப்படவேண்டும். வானக அப்பம் வையாக உணவாகி விண்ணக உறவில் உன்னுடன் வாழ வரம் தந்து எம்மைக்காத்த எம்மாபரனே இத்திருமண தம்பதியினருக்கு அன்றன்றைக்கு தேவையான உணவோடு ஆன்ம உணவாகிய அப்பம் எனும் போஜனத்தையும் கொடுத்து உதவ இவ்வப்பங்களை காணிக்கையாக்குகின்றோம், ஏற்றருள்வாய் இறைவா...

இரசம்:
திராட்சை பழங்கள் மிதிக்கப்பட்டு இரசமாவதுபோல் நம் வாழ்வு துயரால் மிதிக்கப்பட்டு வாழ்வு பலிக்காக இரச்மாகவேண்டும். இத்தகு தியாகத்தால் இத்தம்பதியினர் வாழ்வு வளமாகி, ஒளிர்ந்து புகுந்த வீட்டிற்கும் தங்களது புது குடும்பத்திற்கும் புகழ் சேர்த்து மானிடம் உயர, இறையரசு நிலவ தங்களையே அர்ப்பணிக்கவேண்டி இந்த இரசத்தை காணிக்கையாக்குகின்றோம், ஏற்றிடுவீர் இறைவா...

Hema's [Sr. Amala Therese'] Final Profession...

My dear Hema Mol,

Hearty CONGRATULATIONS!
Yes, you have achieved
Your great resolve
To be His disciple
In the manner of your
Great founder Mother Theresa.

“Grow in wisdom and in stature,
And in favour with God and man”
And Jesus himself grew.

Along with your parents, brothers
And other relatives and friends
Panky achan is very much there
To bless you and praise for
This great offering of yours.

Grow in holiness day after day
Till the universe is made holy
So as to become God’s Kingdom.
Radiate Jesus’ joy and peace
To all who come across your life.

Panky achan needs your prayer
Your prayer more than ever
And am sure that
You will pray for me.
I too shall follow you
With my humble
Prayers as ever.

[Hema mol Professed as
Missionaries of Charity sister
with a new and sweet name
AMALA THERESE
on 06.12.2008 at Culcutta.]


Panky achan.
06.12. 2008
St. Lawrence’ Church,
Lindenwold, NJ 08021.

Epiphany stories from Fr. Tony Akadavil

The Fourth Wise man:

Henry Van Dyke has a story about a fourth wise man. His name was Artaban. He had planned to travel along with his fellow kings. However, he delayed to assist a woman who was dying. So, he missed the march west. As gifts, he carried a precious sapphire, a rare ruby, and an exquisite pearl. He had to give up his sapphire to help a starving family. When finally he found the stable, it was deserted. Mary and Joseph had scooped up the Child and escaped into Egypt. Artaban gave the ruby to secure the life of a babe destined to be destroyed by the mad King Herod. His search for the King of kings continued for thirty-three long years. When he learned of the events on Calvary, he rushed there to ransom Jesus with the priceless pearl. But on the way he met a man about to be sold into slavery. To his master he gave his pearl as ransom. At that moment, the earthquake struck. He was critically wounded by falling debris. The man he had just rescued held his head in his lap. He whispered into his ear, "Because you did it for one of these, you did it for me." Artaban had found his King. The same spirit that prompted Artaban to help the dying woman, the family, the infant, and the slave should motivate us to move out of our underground bunkers and do something similar, transferring our Bibles from our dusty shelves into our hearts and spirits.

Star of Bethlehem in Tony Melendez:

In its June 1989 issue, Reader’s Digest carried the story of Tony Melendez of California describing his life as an epiphany story. A "thalidomide baby," Tony was born without arms because his mother was prescribed thalidomide, a drug used to help calm morning sickness during her pregnancy. He was brought to the Los Angeles area from Nicaragua to be fitted with artificial arms. He wore them until he was ten, when he disposed of them. "I didn't feel comfortable," he explains, "I could use my feet so much more." His proficiency with his feet extended to more areas than just day-to-day care. He remembers that "at first, I started playing push-button organ. Then in high school I began playing around with the guitar and harmonica." He also began writing his own songs. It was also in high school that he became deeply involved in the Catholic Church and he persevered in his church activities, using his talents as a guitarist and composer for Masses and church related events. Demand for him increased to the point where he was directing and singing in music groups at up to five masses on a given Sunday. It was an unforgettable moment when, on September 15, 1987, he was invited to play his guitar for Pope John Paul II in Los Angeles. Born without arms, he performed a touching song entitled “Never Be the Same.” When the Pope approached him from the stage to kiss him in appreciation, it seemed to reflect the sentiments of the entire country.
Since then Tony has traveled across the United States and twenty-seven foreign countries, making countless television appearances. He has also performed at The World Series, where he sang the National Anthem for the fifth game of the 1989 series. Tony has had the opportunity to give four additional performances for the Pope, twice in the Vatican, then in the Pope's homeland of Poland, and then in Denver, Colorado for World Youth Day, 1993. Along with television and major personal appearances, newspaper and magazine articles have appeared on him through out the world. Now as an author, his best-selling autobiography, A Gift of Hope, was published in 1989 by Harper & Row. As a highly talented composer and musician, Tony recorded his first album in 1989, followed by three other very popular albums, all carrying Christian themes of hope and encouragement to millions, especially the crippled and the disabled. Thus Tony has become the star of Bethlehem, by directing others to a loving and providing God through his own strong faith in God’s providence. Jesus manifests himself through his crippled disciple.
Currently, Tony resides with his wife Lynn and children in Branson, Missouri, which is best known for its small-town hospitality and world-class entertainment. There you can see Tony and his family and an all-star cast in an award-winning variety show, The Tony Melendez Show: "A Gift of Hope" at the IMAX Entertainment Complex.

God choosing one people against all the rest...

Among humans, fathers and mothers also may show favoritism towards one of their children, but never can they really ask the favored son to hate or annihilate the others. Unfortunately, this is what we see of the God of the Bible! The authors of the Bible have painstakingly prepared the ground for this attitude by making God to be pleased by Abel rather than the first born Cain, Abraham choosing Isaac over Ishmael, his first born, Jacob coveting the birth right of Esau, his elder brother with the help of their mother Rebekah by cheating the aged and rather blind father Isaac and so on.

Can understand a God coming to the rescue of an exploited and persecuted people; but can't understand a God who kills all the first born of a people and brings about all sorts of natural calamities over them for the cruelties of their rulers and their 'yes' men. This trend was followed by the judges and kings of the 'chosen' people and they literally annihilated other people without any prick of conscience. Even prophets stood supporting such atrocities!

Human evolution may justify the survival of the fittest. Also in the struggle to have land to live, graze the herds and cultivate, people might have faught each other and might have even harmed, hurt or killed one another. But this to happen in the name of a God is very crude and cruel. This developed to the horrifying fundamentalism over the ages of history. Humanity is painfully paying for this today more than anything else.

When Christians hijacked the Jewish scriptures made it their Old Testament, they also subscribed to this view which emboldened them to carry out the crusuades against the non-christians, especially the Muslims and later the Inquisition against the rebel catholics and non-catholics.

True God can never choose one over and against the other of his people or creation. He is the father of the prodigal son as narrated by Jesus, he is the one who goes after the lost one, leaving the ninety nine in the wilderness, and while finding the lost one carries it over his shoulders and brings it back to celebrate with his people.

Prefering pets to persons!

Pets are news in America, must be in Europe too! An 'abandoned' cat was a news for some time! Now after the Presidential elections, the presidential pet is a news and that dog is going to be the 'first dog' like the first lady!

The amount of money spent and care given to pets is really astonishing when millions of people die of hunger in many parts of the world, especially in the so called 'third world' countries from where the 'first world' invaders usurped all their resources in colonial times and later with the tactic of 'occupation' for one reason or other.

In this context, i happened to be an invisible witness to an unfortunate incident today in the rectory where i live. The pastor here has a 'pet' dog called 'maggie.' It is no pet as it not at all friendly to anyone coming to the house. It is addressed as if a person. And everyone else has to adjust himself or herself to that dog, if not they are not welcome! That was what happened today with the new Associate Pastor.

In spite of his stay in this house for almost three weeks, the dog seemed to have barked or chased him and he screemed for help. The help came in the form of another screaming/yelling at him and defending the dog telling that it has the priority here as it was here before he came, implying that he has to adjust if he wanted to live here. When he seemed to have told that i am a priest, he was told, "i don't care that shit!' What a culture and what a civilization!

Happy New Year!

It is only a matter of hours

to see the New Year dawning

at the stroke of midnight!

We are all enthusiastic

to see that year of many

more promises and blessings!

But we should equally be

worthy of that blessings

which God is going to

shower upon us through

so many of our friends

and even strangers!

Now, let us also try to be

a blessing to whoever

comes across our lives.

Would like to thank

you my dear friends

and all those who have

knowingly or unknowingly

blessed me with your love.

May God bless you abundantly

in the year which is on its wings!

Let us try to strengthen

our friendship and

make this world a

lovely place for ourselves

and all other creatures to live.

Happy New Year!