Prabhu Yesu Mahotsav
Confront forces of darkness with the light of Christ: Nuncio
Archbishop Pedro Lopez Quintana, Apostolic Nuncio to India, celebrating the Holy Eucharist along with (from left) head of the Syro-Malabar Church, Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, Archbishop of Mumbai Cardinal Oswald Gracias and Cardinal Telesphore Toppo, Archbishop of Ranchi.
The light of Christ should enable Christians to confront the darkness that envelops society and people, said Archbishop Pedro Lopez Quintana, Apostolic Nuncio to India. He was speaking during the homily at the Prabhu Yesu Mahotsav at the Goregaon Seminary, on Thursday. The Nuncio extended to the 1500 participants the blessings of Pope Benedict XVI.
Archbishop Quintana presided over the Eucharist with Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, Major Archbishop of Syro-Malabar Church and president of CBCI, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Mumbai, Chairman of the Mission Congress, Cardinal Telesphore Toppo, Archbishop of Ranchi, and Geevarghese Mar Divannasios, Bishop of Bathery concelebrating. The delegates of the Mission Congress devotedly participated in the Eucharistic celebration.
Archbishop Pedro Lopez Quintana, Apostolic Nuncio to India, celebrating the Holy Eucharist along with (from left) Archbishop of Ranchi Cardinal Telesphore Toppo, Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, head of the Syro-Malabar Church, Archbishop of Mumbai Cardinal Oswald Gracias and Geevarghese Mar Divannasios, Bishop of Bathery.
In his homily, Archbishop Quintana elaborated the meaning of the Mission Congress theme, Let Your Light Shine. Amid growing darkness of hunger and pain, poverty and violence, drug abuse and sexual malpractices, Christians have a particular duty and responsibility to bring the light of Christ and dispel darkness, he urged. Every Christian, he said, is called to confront the challenges facing the nation, society and families by sharing the light received in baptism to dispel darkness and gloom that exist around them.
Archbishop Quintana reminded the delegates of the Mahotsav, who have come from 160 dioceses in India, that their baptism obligated them to become sources of light and powerful witnesses. We must be a source of support for our brothers and sisters, he added. He reminded them that in the early Church, baptism was also called 'illumination', which means receiving the gift of light. One cannot miss the significance of light in the life of every Christian who becomes a baptized person, said the Nuncio.
Christians must open the doors of their hearts to welcome the true light of Christ. In turn, each one of us must be keen to share that gift of light with others. People must fight various kinds of blindness and forsake fleeting shadows and illusions and work to build a world of peace and harmony. Christians have an indispensable role in brining the message of Christ to all.
Share Christ's light through a Christ-like life: Fr. Kizhakkeyil
It is essential to behave like true Christians if we are to become agents of spreading Jesus' light in this country, said Scripture Scholar and Professor at Ruhalaya Major Seminary, Ujjain, Fr. Sebastian Kizhakkeyil.
Speaking on the theme, Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, he spoke of the deep longing of the people of our land for truth, light and immortality as expressed in the ancient Upanishad prayers of the people of our land. He hoped that the participants of the Mission Congress experience a deep sense of Christian fraternity and communion, and that this event would become like a second Pentecost.
He said Christ's disciples must respond to the deep yearning of the people and become sharers of Christ's light by good deeds and honest and integral lives. Quoting Albert Schweizer, he said, 'example is not the main thing - it is the only thing'.
Jesus, he reminded the participants, is not a philosophical or theological concept remaining on the abstract level, but a person who can touch the hearts of people and illumine them. The Mission Congress should urge participants to invite people of other faiths to be illumined by the light of Christ. He called on every Christian to become like lamp lighters who illumine others and then disappear from the scene.
He recalled the gruesome sufferings experienced by Christians in Orissa and other parts of the country and said the Christian community in India and elsewhere are in great solidarity with them and pay tribute to their faith and courage. He also drew the attention of the participants of the Mission Congress to the scandal of poverty, homelessness, caste discrimination, injustice and marginalization existing side by side with affluence and luxurious living, which every Christian must fight to overcome.
Fr. Kizhakkeyil reminded his audience of the example of Mother Teresa who listened to the cry of the poor drawing inspiration and strength from Christ's own example. He cited the examples of numerous other Christian witnesses in India like Blessed Kunjachan, Saint Alphonsa, Blessed Joseph Vaz, Blessed Chavara, Blessed Euphresia who are models for Christians today to emulate.
Christians today must stay clear of those who indulge in corruption, malpractices and harmful activities that endanger life, property and health. We must instead act with integrity, honesty and a sense of concern for the poor. Heeding Christ's call, we should be ready to abandon evil ambitions, greed and avarice, he said. He stressed the need for Christian schools and hospitals to open their doors to the poor and the marginalized sections and show a preferential love and concern for them, as Christ has taught us.
Indian Mission Congress begins, calls on Christians to incarnate the message of Christ
India’s first ever Mission Congress on the theme ‘Let Your Light Shine’, christened Prabhu Yesu Mahotsav was inaugurated by Vatican Ambassador to India and representative of Pope Benedict XVI, Archbishop Pedro Lopez Quintana at the St. Pius College, Goregaon, Mumbai.
About 1500 delegates, including more than 100 bishops, hundreds of priests and nuns, and lay leaders from the 160 dioceses of India are attending the Congress.
Mumbai’s 49-year old spacious St. Pius Seminary in Goregaon wore a festive look with tastefully decorated conference venue, illuminations, colorful exhibition pandals, spacious food court and several stalls.
The four-day event includes talks, sharing faith stories and experiences of new and creative ways of ministries in the church in India as well as liturgical celebrations and prayers in the three different rites in India, groups sharing, discussions, exhibitions and cultural programmes.
President of the Congress Cardinal Oswald Gracias said the event drew inspiration from the late Pope John II who called for continental Mission Congresses. The 50 delegates from India who attended the Asian Mission Congress in Thailand felt that India should organize a similar event for the whole country.
The purpose of the Congress, Cardinal Oswald said, “is to joyfully share our faith in Jesus Christ, to express the joy of believing in Him, to exchange our experiences, and to inspire others to continue to work in the spirit of the Gospel. It is hoped that as a result of this Congress, the participants and the whole Church in India will have a deeper awareness of what it means to be a Christian, a greater consciousness of our calling, and a more sincere commitment to live as Christians.”
Preparations for the event began over a year ago with Fr. Vijay Shantiraj as the national Secretary and Bishop Agnelo Gracias of Mumbai as the chairman of the local organising committee. Several volunteers from the parishes of Mumbai have been working tirelessly to host the delegates and to ensure the smooth conduct of the event.
Inaugural Event
The Mission Congress opened with the carrying of the Bible in procession by representatives of the three ritual churches, Fr. Vijay Shantiraj, Fr. JustinVettukallel and Fr. John Berchmans. The chief guest and heads of the three Churches lit the lamp amid chanting of hymns on the theme of light.
Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai as host and President of the Mission Congress welcomed the delegates to the city of Mumbai for the four-day event. The Church in India, he noted is having its first Mission Congress, and history is being made. He said each of the participants in the Congress is a very special delegate of their diocese. He hoped that the Congress would provide them very fruitful, graceful days and give to each one “a deeper understanding of our mission as disciples of Christ.”
Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil calls to bear courageous witness to Christ
President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India and head of the Syro-Malabar Church, Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil called the delegates of the first Indian Mission Congress to bear courageous witness to Christ as there is no other substitute for happiness than the Good News of Christ.
Speaking at the inaugural session of the Indian Mission Congress, Prabhu Yesu Mahotsav, Cardinal Vithayathil said the event drew inspiration from the Asian Mission Congress held in Thailand in 2006, and is the fruit of collaboration of all the three ritual churches in India. Such collaboration, he said, augurs well for the church in India.
Stressing the need to be courageous witnesses of Christ today, he said, no amount of wealth or pleasure in this world can give deep and lasting joy which Christ gives. He drew attention to ills like terrorism, fundamentalism and atheism that plague the world today. Christ and his message are the fundamental answers to the ills that afflict the world.
Calling for a courageous witness and proclamation of Christ and his message, he emphasized that the one who has discovered the treasure of Christ cannot keep it to oneself but is compelled from within to communicate it to others.
He highlighted the importance of the media in the proclamation of this message, but underlined the need for Christians to become not only messengers but the message by authentic discipleship of Christ. He said neither Jesus Christ, nor the Catholic Church, force anybody to be converted. But he emphasized the need for rejecting intolerance of other’s faith.
This is a special mission: Archbishop Quintana
“The Church’s mission is to spread hope continuously. This is a special mission. The Church works not to assert power or dominion but to seek only to place ourselves at the service of humanity, especially the poor,” reasoned Archbishop Pedro Lopez Qunitana.
“The best way of evangelization is to tell the story of Jesus. The roll of the laity is important. We are invited to be the light, to tell everybody of Jesus, especially those who are ignorant of Christ,” Archbishop Quintana added.
Christ’s Message is for the whole world: Mar Cleemis
Jesus Christ’s message is one of peace and love for the whole people and not meant for any particular ethnic, linguistic or regional group, said Major Archbishop Moran Mar Baselios Mar Cleemis, Catholicos, head of the Syro Malankara Catholic Church in India, in his message at the inaugural session of the Indian Mission Congress, Prabhu Yesu Mahotsav.
The Church in India is small in comparison with other religious groups but the service it extends to all sections of the people, particularly its commitment to the poor are a major contribution to the nation, he said.
He called on the 1500 delegates of the Mission Congress to build a culture of peace, tolerance and love and march together with members of all other Christian churches and religions in living the love of God. He paid tributes to the Christian brothers and sisters in Orissa who were brutally attacked for their Christian faith. He also lauded the efforts of Archbishop Cheenath of Cuttack, Bhubhaneshwar for his courageous witness in the face of persecution.
Mumbai: The first Indian Mission Congress (PrabhuYesu Mahotsav in Hindi) opened today at Goregaon's St Pius X College in Mumbai. After a year's efforts, the organising committee headed by Mgr Agnelo Gracias, auxiliary bishop of Mumbai, and Fr Vijay Shantiraj, saw its work crowned by the arrival of more than 1,500 delegates. Participants were welcomed in a festive environment by a suggestive show of light and sounds with hundreds of lamps and bhajans, devotional chants typical of India's Christian tradition.
At the entrance of the seminary, organisers displayed banners with the names of the dioceses of origin of the delegates to tell the rich history of Christianity in India and its missionary commitment throughout the centuries. The Word of God was enthroned with the gift of fire (arathi) before an image Jesus surrounded by a garland.
Joining more than 100 bishops, hundreds of men religious, nuns and lay people travelled from India's 160 dioceses in representation of the country's three different rites, Latin, Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankar.
Moved but satisfied, Card Varkey Vithayathil, chairman of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), said that together, all three Churches pulled off something that represents an "historic event", a four-day congress (14-18 October) on "Let your light shine", filled with meetings, celebrations, testimonials and shows.
In a seminary decked out at its best, Mgr Pedro Lopez Quintana, apostolic nuncio to India, and Card Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Mumbai and CBCI deputy chairman, opened the proceedings. In his address, Card Gracias said that the Prabhu Yesu Mahotsav and the Asian Mission Congress of 2006 are connected. The latter itself was organised on the initiative of John Paul II.
Mgr Thomas Dabre, bishop of Pune, who presented the first paper, stressed several times that the "Church exists to evangelize," and that mission of the Church is entrusted not only to the Bishops, the priests and the religious men and women, but to all Christians."
"Only when we have joy in the faith can we be true evangelizers," he said. Indeed, the "true missionary is the one in whom the Messenger becomes the Message." Christians "must embody the message we have to proclaim" so that it can become "our identity."
"The life of faith, worship, and prayer is not to be only in the Church or private but should influence and shape the public, socio-economic and the entire temporal sphere which should be consistent with the Christian faith," he said.
Christ calls on every believer to turn His message in his or her identity. When message and messenger become one, a path opens in which the light of Christ can be shared with everyone, in India and around the world.
When facing a Christian who incarnates and lives his faith, "false charges of conversion, conversion by force, by fraud and by enticement" fail because such "false charges are based on false understanding and prejudice, on fear and insecurity."
Christians in Orissa and elsewhere in India bore witness and gave their lives for their faith in Christ. For the prelate, "fundamentalists and extremists who oppose the Church are but a small number and do not represent the mentality of the Indian people, which is tolerant and respectful and abides by the secular constitution of India."
Many messages from well-wishers also arrived, including one from Card Ivan Dias, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples and a former archbishop of Mumbai, who thanked the participation for their commitment to spreading the Christian message, which arrived in India some 2,000 years ago.
Following in the footsteps of Saint Thomas, the first missionary to the country, Card Dias urged the delegates to bring the light and truth of Christ to India's soul.
Quoting from the country's ancient teachings, the Upanishads, he said, "From evil lead me to good. From darkness, lead me to light. From death lead me to immortality."
(source: AsiaNews)
The Catholic Church has plans to give an impetus to missionary work in India with the setting up of mission teams in every parish and diocese. For this purpose, it plans to involve ordinary followers or the laity in the work.
A stimulus to mission work is one of the main aims of the five-day long meet of the church that began in Mumbai on Wednesday. Called The Indian Mission Congress, the meet is being attended by 1,500 religious and community leaders, including over a 100 bishops from across the country.
It was inaugurated at St Pius seminary in Goregaon by the Pope’s - the head of the Roman Catholic Church - representative in India, Rev. Pedro Lopez Quintana. “The Church’s mission is to spread hope continuously. This is a special mission.
The church works not to assert power or dominion but to seek only to place ourselves at the service of humanity, especially the poor,” said Quintana. “The best way of evangelisation is to tell the story of Jesus. The laity’s role is important.”
The Indian Mission Congress, also known as Prabhu Yesu Mahotsav is the first of such meets to be held in India. Since the first Congress in Mexico in 1977, the meet has moved out of Latin America only once - to Thailand in 2008. The meet was conceived by Pope John Paul II, the last Pope.
President of the Congress and Archbishop of Bombay, Cardinal Oswald Gracias said that as a result of the Congress, participants and the Indian church will have a deeper awareness of what it means to be a Christian. “A greater consciousness of our calling, and a more sincere commitment to live as Christians,” he said.
source: Mumbai Mirror