Sunday, November 19, 2017 Vol 148 No 45 24 Pages Rs: 30.00 ... · 11/19/2017 · Teachers organised by Rev. Fr. Piyal Janaka Fernando, Di-rector, National Catechetical Centre of

“ R E G I S T E R E D I N T H E D E PA RT M E N T O F P O S T S O F S R I L A N K A” U N D E R N O. Q D / 1 2 8 / N E W S / 2 0 1 7

Sunday, November 19, 2017 Vol 148 No 45 24 Pages Rs: 30.00 Registered as a newspaper

THE CATHOLIC WEEKLY OF SRI LANKA

“It will be as when a man who was going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them” (Matthew 25,14)

November 26

OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE

On Thursday, November 2, the Feast of All Souls,

Pope Francis celebrated Mass for the deceased faithful. During Mass at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery in Nettuno, Italy he offered prayers in par-ticular for all “the victims of war and of violence.” Afterward, he visited the Ardeatine Caves, where he prayed for the victims of the wartime massacre

CHRISTMAS ARTICLESPlease send in your Christmas articles for

publication before December 15.

70th Birthday &

7th Cardinalate Anniversary

of His Eminence

Malcolm Cardinal RanjithInterreligious leaders last week hailed the

courageous stand taken by the Archbishop of Colombo, His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal

Ranjith in preventing Sri Lanka from being made a secular state. These comments were made when His Eminence made a pastoral visit to the Maradana Parish where he met people of different walks of life at the Samapura Housing Scheme on Dean’s Road. Present at the gathering were Shrastrapathi Panditha Pujya Galagama Dhammaransi Thera of the Hath Bodhi Raja Maha Viharaya, Narahenpita and Moulavi Asath Moulana.

Hence, a country with a people steeped in such religious belief cannot in any way tread the path of

Religious Leaders lambaste Secular State

CBCSL APPOINTMENTSThe Catholic Bishops’ Conference in Sri Lanka (CBCSL), has named Rt. Rev. Dr. Joseph Ponniah, Bishop of Batticaloa as the Chairman and Convener of the Scripture Scholars Forum and Rt. Rev. Dr. Christian Noel Emmanuel, Bishop of Trincomalee as the Chairman and Convener of the Moral Theologians Forum.

✠ Rt. Rev. Dr. D. Valence MendisSecretary General,Catholic Bishops’ Conference in Sri Lanka

Drama on St. Joseph Vaz

As the Year of St. Joseph Vaz draws to

a close, the memories of this legendary Saint and Apostle of Sri Lanka was once again brought to life on Sunday, November 12, at the Sumudu Daham Pasala Auditorium of St. John Dal Bastone Church, Talangama with the staging of the inspiring drama entitled ‘Suduwara Juse Vaz Munindano’ directed by versatile Catholic artiste

and stage drama producer Richard Manamudali with a professional cast of over 50 artistes. The event was graced by His Excellency Archbishop Pierre Nguyên Van Tot, Apostolic Nuncio in Sri Lanka as Chief Guest

together with the Minister of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs John Amaratunga. The 90-minute drama depicted the life and arduous journey of

Pg.7 Contd.

Praying for Victims of War and Violence

Speaking on the occasion His Eminence said that all religions teach us to lead a good life. “It is in religion that we seek consolation when we are challenged by life’s suffering and pain,” he said.

Rector’s Day at St. Peter’s College

Pg.15 Contd.secularism, he pointed out.

Often referred to as an “activist for

divine justice,” Rev. Fr. Michael Rodrigo, OMI was memorialised in the 30th year after his untimely passing at the Centre for Society and Religion on Monday, November 6, 2017. The commemoration event organised by the Oblate Community and Fr.

Fr. Mike: A 30-Year Remembrance

Michael’s family members commenced with a prayer and reflection by His Lordship Rt. Rev. Dr. Norbert Andradi, OMI a former student of Fr. Michael. A lively lectio brevis by Fr. Aloysius Peiris SJ, followed. Considered today as a leading Asian Theologian, Fr.

Aloysius entertained the audience with a witty but introspective commentary on the context in which Fr. Michael ventured beyond the safety zone of the Church to establish a programme of development and

Pg.15 Contd.

Pg.7 Contd.

SEE PAGE 15

Ad Multos Annos!

Pic: Palitha Pathirana

By T. Sunil Fernando and Roshan Pradeep

2 The Messenger November 19, 2017

A workshop on leadership for National Catechetical Teachers organised by Rev. Fr. Piyal Janaka Fernando, Di-rector, National Catechetical Centre of the Roman Catholic Church and conducted by the General Secretary and Staff of the Ceylon Bible Society was held on Wednesday, Octo-ber 27, 2017 at Carmel Hill Convent, Ampitiya, Kandy. The programme was conducted in Sinhala and Tamil simultaneously, with around 60 participating in-cluding the members of the Clergy and the Religious Sis-ters. Group discussions were held among the participants with a skit. The event ended with a thanksgiving prayer offered by Rev. Fr. Augustine Fernando. Picture shows His Lordship Rt. Rev. Dr. Christian Noel Emmanuel, Bishop of Trincomalee, who was pres-ent on this occasion together with the participants.

Thomas de Silva

The Ceylon Bible Society organised the 14th Annual Elders' Day Pro-gramme under the theme "Handful of Tranquility Elders" to commemorate the International Elders' Day, on Oc-tober 28, 2017 at

“To one he gave fi ve talents; to another, two; to a third, one - to each according to his ability. Then he went away” (Matthew 25,15)

Retreat for Priests of Colombo

Venue: Retreat House, Tewatte Date: November 27 - December 01, 2017Preacher: Rev. Fr. Augustine Vallooran

1. Rt. Rev. Dr. Maxwell Silva 2. Rev. Fr. Shiran Dassa 3. Rev. Fr. Priyantha Silva 4. Rev. Fr. Amil Benedict Gomes 5. Rev. Fr. Ruwantha Kumara Fernando 6. Rev. Fr. Onasius Fernando 7. Rev. Fr. Camillus Fernando 8. Rev. Fr. Leo Camillus Hettiarachchi 9. Rev. Fr. Gayan Prasantha Perera10. Very Rev. Fr. Manokumaran Nagaratnam11. Rev. Fr. Roshan Janaka Fernando12. Rev. Fr. Gihan Priyashantha Peries13. Rev. Fr. Chaminda Roshan Fernando14. Rev. Fr. Lawrence Ramanayake15. Rev. Fr. Dinush Gayan Winston16. Rev. Fr. Clement Sanjeewa Senanayake17. Rev. Fr. Malintha Chathuranga Chandrasiri18. Rev. Fr. Harsha Dinesh Rajakaruna19. Rev. Fr. Mahesh Chrishantha Fernando20. Rev. Fr. Pontius Ronnie Perera21. Rev. Fr. Dulip Kamal Priyashantha22. Rev. Fr. Jude Sharman Fernando23. Rev. Fr. Anton Thilina Samith Soysa24. Rev. Fr. Nadeeka Dilhan Manchanayaka25. Rev. Fr. Teshan Priyadarshana26. Rev. Fr. Janaka Sasimal Costa27. Rev. Fr. Nalin Kumara Fernando28. Rev. Fr. Manoj Kumara Fernando29. Rev. Fr. Eranga Laksritha De Silva30. Rev. Fr. Jude Asitha Hettiarachchi31. Rev. Fr. Ranga Shehan Andradi32. Rev. Fr. Ravin Dharshana Fernando33. Rev. Fr. Dinesh Tharanga Keerthisinghe34. Rev. Fr. Rohan De Soyza35. Rev. Fr. Sarath Nimal Abeysiriwardane36. Rev. Fr. Bodiyabaduge A. Terrence Fernando37. Rev. Fr. Edmond Tilakeratne38. Rev. Fr. Denishka Isira Jayasuriya39. Rev. Fr. Rasika Lawrence De Silva40. Rev. Fr. Clariyan Hayiens Fernando41. Rev. Fr. Srilal Fonseka42. Rev. Fr. B.D. Anton Premalal43. Rev. Fr. Ranjan Silva44. Rev. Fr. Pradeep Chaminda Perera45. Rev. Fr. Manoranjan de Silva46. Rev. Fr. Clement Rozairo47. Rev. Fr. Deshan Lasantha Perera48. Rev. Fr. Shantha Sagara Hettiarachchi49. Rev. Fr. Claude Nishantha Nonis50. Very Rev. Fr. Daya Shelton Welikadarachchi

Rev. Fr. Patrick PereraPriest-in-Charge of the Annual Retreats

Scripture Scholars and Moral Theologians ForaThe Catholic Bishops' Conference in Sri Lanka officially assign Scripture Scholars Forum under the Chairman-ship of Rt. Rev. Dr. Joseph Ponniah, Bishop of Batticaloa and Moral Theologians Forum under the Chairmanship of Rt. Rev. Dr. Noel Emmanuel, Bishop of Trincomalee who are both scholars and teachers in the respective fields. All Scripture scholars with a Licentiate or Doc-torate in Scripture or Biblical Theology and Licentiate or Doctorate in Moral Theology are cordially invited to be members of the Fora.

The objective of both fora is to identify and present teachings of pastoral exigency using all avail-able print, electronic and digital means of social media to reach as many people as possible.

✠ Rt. Rev. Dr. J. Winston S. Fernando, S.S.S.President

Catholic Bishops' Conference in Sri Lanka.

in Memoriam: Deceased Legal Professionals

"I have come that they may have Life; and have it to the Full!" (John 10:10) A Requiem Mass for Judges & Lawyers will be held on Friday, November 24, 2017 at 6.00 p.m. at the Sacred Heart Chapel of Archbishop's House, Borella. A special Tribute shall also be made to

Justice C.G. Weeramantry,Mr. Percy Valentine P.C. and

Mr. Upali de Almeida All Judges, Lawyers and Law Students en-gaged in the Legal Profession are welcome!

Contact:Rev. Fr. Noel Dias - 077 7349446Mr. Shammil Perera P.C. - 077 7793800 Mr. Dilhan de Silva - 077 7741178Mr. Shehan Gunawardane - 077 7572699 Mr. Duthika Perera - 077 2456772

Family Apostolate Meeting of Gurubavila Deanery

The Family Apostolate Meeting of the Gurubavila Deanery held at Our Lady of Assumption Church, Hanwella on November 10, 2017, was graced by the Archbishop of Colom-bo, His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith.

Picture shows His Eminence addressing the gathering in the presence of Rev. Fr. Nilantha Heshan Fernando, Parish Priest, Waga and coordinator of the Family Apostolate in the Gurubavila Deanery.

Sarath Athukorala

Rev. Fr. Lal Pushpadewa Fer-nando OMI Director of the Catholic National Commis-sion for Social Communica-tion was elected member of the Screening Committee of Signis Asia for a period of four years recently.

14th Annual Elders' Day Programme 2017

Leadership Programme for Catechism Teachers

Feast of St. Charles Borromeo's Church, Moratuwa

The 121st Annual Feast of St. Charles Borromeo's Church, Willorawatte, Moratuwa, was held on November 5, 2017. His Lordship Rt. Rev. Dr. Maxwell Silva, Auxilia-ry Bishop of Colombo a Priest-son of the Parish was the Chief Celebrant at the Festive High Mass on the invita-tion of Rev. Fr. Roshan Prasad Fernando, Parish Priest. Picture shows the laying of the Foundation Stone by His Lordship for a new Church building to be constructed and the scaled down model of the Church.

Trisil F. Mendis

Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Church, Walana, Panadura. The 250 elders who participated in the pro-gramme, were provided with the issue of identity cards, free eye testing, distribution of spectacles, medical con-sultation by a team of doctors and with samaposha and herbal porridge. Mr. Wilakshitha Mendis, Manager, Pro-grammes delivered a vote of thanks for those who facili-tated towards the success of the programme. Picture shows Rev. Fr. Sameera Fonseka, Rector of St. Vincent's Technical School, Maggona who graced the occasion as the Chief Guest lighting the traditional oil lamp together with Rev. Fr. Shelton Dias, Parish Priest.

Thomas de Silva

Elected for Signis Asia

MESSENGER E-MAIL ccpmessenger @yahoo.com

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November 19, 2017

EDITORIAL

SINCE FEBRUARY 1869

“Immediately the one who received fi ve talents went and traded with them, and made another fi ve” (Matthew 25,16)

Contd. on Pg. 15

A just and fair society

on Wednesday November 8, Sri Lanka commemorated the second anniversary of the

death of the Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Nayaka Thera. After the end of the war in 2009, when the Ven. Sobitha saw that the ruling party politicians were plundering public funds instead of working towards lasting interracial and interreligious reconciliation, the prelate even risked his life in working for good governance and his mission bore fruit with the dramatic events of November 2014. These led to the miraculous election of Maithripala Sirisena on January 8, 2015 with the support of United National Party, other parties and about forty civic action movements. Speaking before the body of Ven. Sobitha Thera who was cremated at the Parliament grounds, President Sirisena pledged he would fulfill the principles proposed in the prelate’s manifesto for a just society. These include the abolition of the Executive Presidential System, the restoration of the rule of law and tough legal action against corrupt politicians, top officials and their lackeys along with effective measures for sustainable, eco-friendly and all inclusive economic development strategies. Similar proposals and principles had been outlined in

Rev. Fr. Leopold Ratnasekera O.M.I.

The great Ecumenical Council of Vatican II,

fifty years ago, reminded that every baptized per-son is called to live and proclaim the good news of the Gospel. While the Church of its very nature is missionary, so is every Christian a missionary by reason of his baptism reinforced by the sacra-ment of Confirmation and becoming a living cell in the mystical body of Christ which the Church. Living out one’s faith in-volves being nurtured by the Word of God and the Bread of Life at the Eu-charist. Pope Francis has often repeated that all the baptized are missionary disciples of Jesus Christ whom Pope Paul referred to his land-mark apostolic exhortation “Evangeliza-tion in the Modern world” marking the holy year 1975 as the First Evange-lizer. In virtue of all of the above considerations, we of every local church, such as the Church in Sri Lan-ka are a local missionary community. This commu-nity is multi-ethnic, multi-lingual and multi-cultural

and thus beautifully re-flects in the local scene the Catholic nature of the universal Church. We here hasten to add other perti-nent definitions given to the Church by Vatican II and which have become working principles in the life and apostolates of the Church. For, it is said that the Church is the sacra-ment of salvation and is the sacrament of unity of man-kind. All these quali-ties are derived from Je-sus Christ who is the first sacrament of the Church. The Church is also spoken of as the sign, the symbol and the servant of the Kingdom of God mean-ing that it is not identical with the Kingdom of God, which more extensive qualitatively and quan-titatively. The Kingdom of God included all that is true, good and beauti-ful that we discover in humanity, in the secular world and in other reli-gions and cultures.

Christian Presence in Sri Lanka

The above consid-erations bring us to con-front a crucial issue the local Church in Sri Lanka is painfully facing today.

Christianity had firmly been established here from the time of the Por-tuguese. During the colo-nial periods, missionaries from many foreign lands have come here to evan-gelize and build up the local Church which today has evolved into 12 full-fledged dioceses canoni-cally erected with indig-enous bishops in charge. During the difficult time of the Dutch persecution when the Catholic Church was under siege, God in-tervened by sending the incredible missionary, the greatest missionary Asia ever produced, St. Jo-seph Vaz who resurrected the scattered sheep of the flock of Christ in this land and helped save the catholic faith. After him, various missionary or-ders like the Franciscans, Augustinians, the Oblates, the Jesuits and the Domin-

icans came to this land to serve our Church. Around the independence era, the Oblates served in Jaffna and Colombo with Jesuits serving in Trincomalee and Galle and finally the Sylvestro-Benedictines in the hill-country of Kandy with Chilaw already un-der its first indigenous pastor, Bishop Edmund Peiris OMI. With indepen-dence, nationalism raised its head bringing with it complicated problems af-fecting the identity and rights of the minorities in this country. There were ethnic, religious, cultural and civil rights in question. Unity had to be achieved in the midst of this ethnic and religious diversity. While the ma-jority Buddhist citizenry had to be respected, the legitimate rights and priv-ileges of the minorities too had to be safeguarded. It was no easy task as evi-dent from the civil distur-bances of the late fifties, the long-drawn economic down-turn of the 70’s on-wards and the two youth insurrections in between, claiming equal opportu-nities in education and employment. In plain lan-

guage, Buddhists, Hindus, Moslems and Christians had to have the religious freedoms they needed. The Sinhalese, the Tamils, the Muslims and the Bur-ghers had to have their civil rights safeguarded. Achieving a national uni-ty in a country of such a plethora of diversity and multi-faceted tiers was no easy task. It came to a climax in the thirty-year war that brought untold suffering to our people. We are still under the spillover of its disastrous effects. In the course of these struggles, there was a mass exodus of citizens to overseas countries such as Australia, Europe and Canada. Short-sighted po-litical agendas and greed for political power and po-sition created conditions that led to many a national tragedy.. Elections fought with manifestos based on religion, language and race, proved an easy road to disaster and national disintegration.

issues confronting our Mission

Trapped in these questions, the various Christian churches were faced with many dilem-

mas. Christianity in its catholic, Anglican, Dutch forms as left to us by the colonial powers of the Portuguese, Dutch and English in that order, had to become partners in the work of national reconcil-iation. The path was not to pull in different ways, but to achieve a common national identity while ensuring differences in healthy solidarity. It was not a question of theses, anti-thesis and synthesis but one of clear synergy, where diversity would enhance unity in har-monious cohesion. The Catholic Church and other Christian denominations embraced both major ethnic groups, Sinhalese and Tamils. We ended up with churches and par-ishes in the south having to cater to both groups. In the meantime, within the Church, currents of hu-man liberation and con-cern for the poor began to change thinking about the mission of the Church. Social justice and human rights questions entered the concerns of the Chris-tian churches. Missionary evangelization had to take on these important issues

National Reconciliation - our missionary priority today

an agreement signed by the prelate and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. To what extent has progress been made towards achieving the objectives that the revered prelate lived and worked for? President Sirisena, speaking at the death anniversary commemoration held at Ape Gama on November 8 reiterated his commitment to Ven. Sobitha’s principles for a just society though he honestly admitted that progress so far had been slow. The President pledged he would be taking tough action to bring to justice those who were corrupt. He said even ‘Yahapalanaya’ government ministers, MPs or others who allegedly indulged in bribery, corruption, frauds or other political crimes would be brought to justice. Even more significant was the speech made by Prof. Sarath Wijesuriya. His comments were mainly addressed to Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and his ministers. Prof. Wijesuriya said Mr. Wickremesinghe was a veteran politician with more than 40 years as a Member of Parliament. He did not engage in politics based on communalism or on religious differences. The civic action leader said he honoured the sacrifice Mr. Wickremesinghe made at the January 8, 2015 presidential election by not being a candidate and taking a bold step for the formation of a consensual national government to go ahead with the Constitutional reforms. “But on behalf of the people who followed Ven. Sobitha Thera, there is something I need to say. You mentioned, prior to the 2015 change, that you will be committed to political reforms. It is true you played a key role towards that. It is sad to say that you have not been able to win the hearts of the people about political reforms. Due to actions of certain ministers of your party, there is been mistrust and fear among the public. It is an obstacle for political reforms. Do not take it lightly. It is your duty to dispel the mistrust and fear. The party’s future will depend on your actions. Your political future will depend on your actions,” Prof. Wijesuriya said. “At times when you had an opportunity to be elected to govern the country the people did not give you a mandate. It may have been robbed from you. It

is regrettable that you did not identify the reasons for that. You have become the Prime Minister, mainly because the law abiding citizens opposed the Rajapaksa regime. If not for the change, it should be accepted that you would not have become the Prime Minister. Mahinda Rajapaksa’s destruction of democracy was the main reason for his defeat. In short, you were made the Prime Minister because of the dedication of a section of the public. Have you understood this? It seems not.” “Ven Sobitha called for a mandate to vote for a corruption free country, to vote to create a country where people are not killed, to recover money which has been illegally acquired, for the freedom to live, to ensure justice. But what is the situation today? The persons who were accused of corruption then are now in turn making the same allegations. What fate is this? On an analysis of the January 8 revolution, this situation is bad for the government. Those who criticized the Rajapaksa Government had no right to live then. The present Government is not responsible for killing persons, but has failed to ensure justice for those murdered.” “The campaign by Ms. Sandya Ekneligoda on behalf of her husband, the revelations made regarding ruggerite Wasim Thajudeen’s killing, Journalist Lasantha Wickrematunga’s killing, the Welikada prison killings, the killing of youths in Navy custody, the Avant Garde issue and the MiG-27 deal are among some of the main cases which have been highlighted. They disturbed the public. Most of these cases have been investigated by the CID and the FCID. For three years we have been awaiting the results. The affected parties are awaiting justice. The people are unhappy about the failure to complete investigations and take action in courts,” the Prof. said. Most of Sri Lanka’s people hope that whatever the dispute the two parties would remain and work together towards creation of a peaceful, just and all inclusive society – the features of God’s Kingdom, as highlighted by Pope Francis.


Church in the Modern World

“Likewise, the one who received two made another two” (Matthew 25,17)

in a key speech on the global effort to eradi-

cate nuclear arms, Pope Francis called the weap-ons immoral and said they should be made illegal in war, but he also voiced hope that despite pessi-mism, things are moving in the right direction. In a November 10 audience with partici-pants in a Vatican Sym-posium on Nuclear Disar-mament, the Pope said a healthy realism continues to shine a light of hope on our unruly world, particu-larly on the nuclear front. Pointing to the in-ternational treaty passed at the United Nations in July, Pope Francis said this is a concrete sign that progress is being made in the effort to eliminate nu-clear arms and called the treaty “a historic vote,” in which the majority of the international community determined that nuclear weapons are not only immoral, but must also be considered an illegal

means of warfare.” The employ-ment of nuclear devices, whether intentionally or through accidental deto-nation, he said, would cause catastrophic hu-manitarian and environ-mental effects. Organized by the Pontifical Council for Inte-gral Human Development, the November 10-11 sym-posium is the first global gathering on this topic since the approval of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons at the United Nations July 7. Until the treaty, nuclear weapons were the only weapons of mass destruction not explicitly banned by any interna-tional document. As the Pope pointed out in his speech, chemical weap-ons, biological weapons, anti-human mines and cluster bombs had all been explicitly prohibited in previous international conventions. He praised the treaty as also being largely

the result of humanitarian initiatives sponsored by the collaboration of civil society, states, internation-al organisations, churches, academies and experts. Ultimately, to achieve a world without nuclear weapons requires a change of heart, not just laws, he said, saying we must renew our focus on the integral development of the human person as an indissoluble unity of soul and body, of contempla-tion and action. This approach gives hope that it is possi-ble, the Pope said, adding that the perspective goes contrary to our own pes-simism and the criticisms of those who see the effort to totally eliminate weap-ons of mass destruction as “idealistic.” Quoting Pope St. John XXIII's 1963 en-cyclical ‘Pacem in Terris’, Pope Francis said, unless this process of disarma-ment be thoroughgoing and complete, and reach men’s very souls, it is im-possible to stop the arms

race, or to reduce arma-ments, or – and this is the main thing – ultimately to abolish them entirely. Reiterating the many statements he has made on the topic, Pope Francis said the escala-tion of the arms race and the expense it requires means money is taken away from what should be the real priorities: The fight against poverty, the promotion of peace and the undertaking of edu-cational, ecological and

healthcare projects. In a November 10 statement addressed to Pope Francis on the occa-sion of the conference, five of the eleven Nobel Prize Laureates participating in the conference said they hope the event will help launch a new interna-tional legal regulation and further stigmatise those weapons and the states that so far refuse to give them up. They praised the joint role of civil society,

religious communities and various international organizations and states in advancing the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which aims to put an end to weapons “that are capable of oblit-erating life as we know it in the blink of an eye.” In order to avoid an “impending third revo-lution in warfare,” the weapons must be eliminat-ed before they ever make it to battle, they said. Signatories in-cluded Professer Mo-hamed El Baradei; Mrs. Mairead Maguire; Profes-sor Adolfo Perez Esquivel; Professor Jody Williams, and Professor Muham-mad Yunus. In comments to journalists Yunus, who is from Bangladesh, said Pope Francis' message on peace and nuclear disarmament is critical. The Pope's voice, he said, “is respected all over the world, and when he says something, people listen.”

EWTN

There is hope for a nuke-free world

Pope Francis sent a pair of telegrammes to Iraq and Iran last Monday, expressing his condolences for

the damage and loss of life caused by Sunday's severe earthquake. In the two messages signed by Cardinal Secre-tary of State Pietro Parolin, Pope Francis says he was

deeply saddened by news of the 7.3-magnitude earth-quake which struck the border region between Iran and Iraq. He assured all those affected by the tragedy of his prayerful solidarity and his sorrow to all who mourn the loss of their loved ones.

The Pope also offered his prayers for the deceased and commends them to the mercy of the Almighty. Pope Francis closed his messages by invoking the divine blessings of consolation and strength upon the injured and the emergency and civil authorities en-gaged in rescue and recovery efforts. Vatican Radio

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis recognised that Pope John Paul I, who served only 33 days as pope, lived

the Christian virtues in a heroic way. The Vatican announced Pope Francis' decision on November 9. It marks the first major step on the path to sainthood for the pope who died in 1978 at the age of 65, shocking the world and a Church that had just mourned the death of Blessed Paul VI. Pope Francis would have to recognise a miracle attributed to the late pope's intercession in order for him to be beatified, the next step is towards sainthood. A second miracle would be needed for canonization. Stefania Falasca, Vice Postulator of Pope John Paul's sainthood cause, said one presumed extraordi-nary healing had already been investigated by a diocese and a second possibility is being studied, but the Vati-can does not begin its investigations until a sainthood candidate is declared venerable. Although his was one of the shortest papacies in history, Pope John Paul left a lasting impression on the Church that fondly remembers him as the ‘Smiling Pope’. "He smiled for only 33 days," read the front page of the Italian newspaper, Corriere della Sera, while the Catholic Telegraph of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati reported: "Saddened Church seeking another Pope John Paul." The surprise of his death after just over a month in office opened a floodgate of rumours and conspiracy theories, running the gamut from murder to culpable neglect. The Vatican doctor insisted then, as the Vatican continues to insist, that Pope John Paul died of a heart attack. His papal motto, ‘Humilitas’ ("Humility") not only emphasised a Christian virtue but also reflected his down-to-earth personality and humble beginnings.

Born Albino Luciani in the small Italian mountain town of Canale D'Agordo on Octo-ber 17, 1912, the future pope and his two brothers and one sister lived in poverty and some-times went to bed hungry. His father, a bricklayer by trade, would often travel to Switzer-land and Germany in search of work. He was or-dained a priest in

1935 and was appointed Bishop of Vittorio Veneto in December 1958 by St. John XXIII. More than 10 years later, he was named Patriarch of Venice by Blessed Paul VI and was created a cardinal in 1973. During his time as patriarch of Venice, then-Cardinal Luciani was known for his dedication to the poor and the disabled. His surprise election, after Blessed Paul VI's death nevertheless, did not sway him from continuing his humble manner of living, such as rejecting the use of the traditional papal tiara and preferring to call his first Holy Mass as pope the inauguration of his papal ministry rather than a coronation. His humility also was reflected in the 19 speeches and talks he gave as pope, especially the four Wednesday general audience talks before his untimely death. CNS

Pope Francis declares John Paul i 'Venerable'

A 1978 picture of Pope John Paul I, known as the ‘Smiling Pope’.

Pakistan will issue 50, 000 commemorative coins in honour of German-born Catholic nun and physician

Sister Ruth Martha Pfau who dedicated her life to eradi-cating leprosy in the country. Known as Pakistan’s Mother Teresa, Sister Pfau died in Karachi on August 10 at the age of 87. She was given a State funeral, an honour normally reserved for heads of State and soldiers. Sister Ruth Pfau was a member of the Society of the Daughters of the Heart of Mary and founded the Ma-rie Adelaide Leprosy Centre in Karachi and in all prov-inces after arriving in Pakistan in 1960, aged 29. “The entire nation is indebted to Ruth Pfau for her selflessness and unmatched services for the eradi-cation of leprosy,” said Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. According to a statement issued by the Press Information Department on November 8, a federal cabi-net meeting headed by Abbasi approved a proposal to produce 50,000 commemorative 50 rupee coins (48 US cents) in honor of Sister Ruth Pfau. The Central Bank of Pakistan was authorised to issue the commemorative coins, it added. UCAN

Pakistan to mint new coins in honour of Catholic nun

Pope sends condolences to iran, iraq following deadly earthquake


“But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money” (Matthew 25,18)

Health relatedissues in Sri Lanka

By Dr. Maxie FernandopulleEmail:[email protected]:[email protected]

There is group of per-sons whose abilities

are different from the nor-mal population, who need special care. They are also called differently abled persons because their abilities are different.15 to 20% of the population constitutes this group. There are some categories in this group of persons who could possess some talents which are superior to the normal population. The case of greater talent or ability for singing and music in persons belong-ing to Down syndrome was referred to last week. They were earlier referred to as handicapped, physi-cally or mentally retarded which terms are no lon-ger used. The basic cause is maldevelopment, mal-functioning or damage to some areas in the brain. Depending on the area or centres in the brain that are affected the external manifestations will vary. The broad causes can be divided into, hereditary, congenital or acquired. The congenital group will show the shortcomings from birth. Some of them are due to abnormalities

in the chromosomes like Down syndrome. The fa-milial cause may manifest at birth itself or years later in life. The acquired cause in many is caused around birth. These can be before birth, during birth or af-ter birth. Before birth the improper development of the brain can be because of consumption of alcohol or drugs or smoking by the mother. Exposure to x-rays, attempted abortion, infections in the mother, accidents or injury, mal-nutrition and anaemia, emotional trauma may have deleterious effects on the growing foetus. During the delivery a pro-longed labour, difficult delivery or a premature low birth weight baby has higher chance for brain to be damaged. Lack of oxygen, lack of sugar or lack of warmth to the new born baby will lead to these problems. Traumat-ic deliveries can lead to it. Infection in the mother’s birth passage can be transmitted to the baby which in turn can affect the brain of the baby. Ac-quired causes after birth are infection of the brain,

jaundice in the baby, or trauma to the brain. These shortcom-ings that the persons have can be decreased to a fair extent so that they live a happy, complete and a useful life. Their creative talents can be developed to make a useful contribu-tion to the society and to them. Fortunately in Sri Lanka we have devoted organisations that care and train these persons. There are lay and religious organisations that are do-ing yeoman service to these children. One such Catholic organisation is the group of religious sisters belonging to the order – Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary. Ideally the training should begin from birth itself by stimu-lation to develop the brain and carry out some useful activities such as making some material and prod-ucts which are going to be useful to the society.

outcome in these children The improper development of the brain is often associated with physical impairment. The

effects will remain for the lifetime. This results in functional limitation in three of the following. Self care, Reception and expressional language, Learning, Mobility and Self direction is affected. There is lack of capac-ity for independent living. They will not have eco-nomic self sufficiency. He/she will need special care service for the rest of his/her life. They are identi-fied as they are different, and slow in development. The facial features are of-ten different and have an abnormal behaviour pat-tern. They can be identi-fied by presently avail-able antenatal diagnostic tests like different types of scanning, examination of the fluid in the womb, examining a piece of tis-sue taken from the foetus in the womb or testing the mother’s blood when indicated. If the foetus is jaundiced the depth of jaundice can be found and treatment instituted like exchanging blood of the foetus while in the womb. Some abnormalities like the presence of valve in

the urinary passage of the foetus can be detected and early treatment after the birth to prevent the abnormality causing dam-aging effects. Pre mari-tal and preconception counselling can prevent some diseases in the baby which can have damag-ing effects on the baby's brain. Carriers of diseases who themselves are not affected can be identi-fied. If two carriers for the same disease marry 25% of their babies will suffer from the disease where the brain is impaired. For the same reason first cousin or blood relation marrying should be pre-vented. Before conceiving a baby some precautions like taking the vitamin fo-lic acid will prevent brain damage. After conceiving a baby there are certain things to be avoided and certain things carried out which will prevent im-pairment of the brain of the baby to be born. When a woman gets pregnant she should immediately inform the local midwife and the family doctor. The mother should visit the ante natal clinics recom-

mended by the above two and follow instructions carefully. The place of de-livery should be planned as advised by the obstetri-cian. Because, the delivery and the care of the new born baby is very impor-tant. If there are some dif-ficulties which are often predictable the delivery should be in a special-ized hospital where there is also expert newborn baby care under a special-ist doctor and the nursing staff. If the child is found to differently abled, by finding some of the fea-tures mentioned above, the condition should be evaluated and confirmed of extent of the disabil-ity. He should be under the care of child specialist and guided by staff spe-cially trained to look after a child with special needs. He may need to be institu-tionalized or looked after as a day care person. Cre-ating curiosity and imagi-nation in children is a skill that the teacher and the parents of this child be in-terested in. He should be taught to be imaginative via creativity in music, art and drama.

Creativity of Persons with Special Needs

Celso Cardinal Costantini was by far the most far-sighted of the modern day advocates of the need for

the local Church in China to express the faith and the Word of God within the cultural symbols and language of the local culture. As the first apostolic delegate to China, he was a man well ahead of his time in terms of developing the Church that was then known as a foreign mission, and the tremendous contribution that he made to the ma-turing of the Church in China is now prompting signifi-cant numbers of Catholics to call for his beatification. Born in 1876, Cardinal Costantini was nomi-nated by Pope Pius XI as the first apostolic delegate to China in 1922, a position he held until 1933. China of that era was in the midst of chaotic civil wars, while at the same time the control of much of the country was split up among western colonial powers with a neighbouring player on the block, Japan, beginning to flex its warring muscles big time across Manchuria. It was precisely this web of colonialism and the protective legal fence that the French government placed around foreign missionaries; and to some extent local Catholics as well, that Cardinal Costantini saw as being the big diplomatic hurdle that the Vatican needed to jump in order to have constructive relations with the government in Beijing. He also saw it as the one thing that stopped the Vatican making any progress in the country during its initial attempts to form ties with the government be-tween 1885 and 1917. In a paper posted on the UCAN website, Alex-andre Chen Tsungming, the Director of Research at the Ferdinand Verbiest Institute in Belgium, says that strict-ly speaking, it was impossible to talk in any meaningful way about the Church in China, as it existed piecemeal in the pockets of the various colonial powers. But the big power was France and the biggest obstacle was France, as it had its own uses for the Church in the Middle Kingdom and Cardinal Costantini began a difficult campaign to overcome a meddling Par-is and turn local loyalties towards the pope. Chen points out that first of all, the cardinal

attacked Church leadership and the pope accepted his recommendation that six Chinese priests should be or-dained bishops in 1924, the first local priests to move to that level of leadership in hundreds of years of Church life in the country. He was also the first one to call a gathering of the bishops in 1924, when a Chinese Council was con-vened in Shanghai. How to express the faith in the language and symbols of the culture was one of the main agendas, which resulted in a discussion about how to develop fine Chinese-style Catholic art forms and foster local re-ligious congregations of brothers and sisters. If Cardinal Costantini was around today, he may even use the word Sinicisation, but he probably have been happier with indigenisation or perhaps even incultura-tion but that word was not in vogue during his time. Although what he was about is an important dynamic at all times and in all places, in view of what was to come in China, it has had an impact that would have been far beyond anything even the good cardinal himself could have imagined. At the same time, he worked hard at lessening the influence that the colonial powers had on the life of the Church and sought to separate it from the so-called protective arm of France, setting new norms for both lo-cal priests and Catholics to follow. Cardinal Costantini, above all people in China, understood clearly that the Catholicity of the faith lies in its ability to express itself in the language, signs and symbols of every culture and be lived out by every peo-ple in the world. Between 1935 and 1953, he played an impor-tant role in liturgical reform, during which he had his own rites controversy to deal with and on the delicate matter of what acceptance should be given to the Confucian rites of honouring ancestors, he made a big contribution. However, Sinicisation as it is used today, has a radically different meaning from what Cardinal Costan-tini would have intended had he been the one to dream the word up. In modern parlance, it has become a term for describing relations between the Chinese Communist

regime and religious groups, sitting in the political sphere rather than the religio-cultural one. But it also reminds people of Cardinal Costantini’s contri-bution to China. ‘The current process of Sinicisation that Chinese Presi-dent Xi Jinping talks about impos-es political and legal measures on the Church that have nothing to do with Catholic doctrine or nor-mal Church management. Cardinal Costantini was about exactly the op-posite, he saw the grave danger of the political ties the Church had with the colonial powers and worked hard to place religious life squarely in the Chinese cultural embrace in its expression and customs. Currently the process of beatification for Car-dinal Costantini is under way, which although it will be a long drawn out affair will have important lessons for the whole Church in terms understanding the life of lo-cal Churches in their own unique circumstances. Because of the ties of the Church in China with the colonial powers the patriotism of Catholics is some-thing that has always been under scrutiny, but Chen ar-gues that there are plenty of examples of Chinese Cath-olic people putting their lives on the line for the love of their homeland. During the Sino-Japanese War from 1937 to 1945, Father Vincent Lebbe, who was rewarded with Chinese nationality, led teams of seminarians and sis-ters on the battle field as medics, but the Church had al-ways been the butt of Japanese attack, as it was teaching the exact opposite to what the violent coloniser wanted people to hear. The patriotism of Catholics has never been shaped by official government policy, but by faith in God and love of country, its history, culture and identity, but as Chen says at times they have been deprived of their nation’s affec-tion and it was the foreign bishop with a Chinese heart who helped them express their true love of country.

Courtesy; Sunday Examiner

A foreigner with a Chinese heart


Freedom to love God Man was created free in order to love God and one’s neighbour for His sake. As St. Augustine said in his ‘Confessions’: “You have made us for yourself, Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you” (Confessions, 1,1,1). Love is always a free and voluntary act of every human being. More than a sentiment, love is a decision, a choice to give oneself to the beloved. This holds true both in human as well as divine love. Loving God is a response to His loving design to unite ourselves with Him in this life and in heaven. Thus, St. Augustine wrote, God “Who created you without your cooperation, will not save you without your cooperation” (Sermon 169, 13). Here is another translation of the same quote: “But he who made you without your consent does not justify you without your consent. He made you without your knowledge, but He does not justify you without you willing it” (The Faith of the Early Fathers, Vol. 3, p. 29). How good God is! Even if we owe Him everything we are, He does not oblige us to love Him so. To attain justification and salvation, we have to choose to love God. He left us to our own counsel so we could decide either to use or abuse the freedom He has given us.

State of puri�ication When a person abuses his freedom, choosing to reject God rather than loving Him, he commits sin and harms himself. If he repents and confesses his sins in Confession, he regains God’s grace and friendship. However, he has to purify his soul by doing penances for his sins. But if he is still imperfectly purified, he is indeed assured of

eternal salvation, but after death he must undergo purification to achieve the holiness needed to enter the joy of heaven (cf. CCC, 1030). This state of purification is what we call Purgatory. Purgatory is defined as the state of those who die in God’s friendship, assured of their eternal salvation, but who still have need of purification to enter into the happiness of heaven. Many people may not have lived a holy life on earth, but neither have they shut themselves up in sin. The possibility after death of being cleansed from the impurities and imperfections of a more or less misspent life then appears as a new sign of God’s goodness, an opportunity to prepare themselves to enter into intimate communion with God’s holiness. “Purgatory shows God’s great mercy and washes away the defects of those who long to become one with him” (St. Josemaria, Furrow, 889). The souls in Purgatory cannot help themselves but we can help them. In what way? Because of the communion of Saints, “the faithful who are still pilgrims on earth are able to help the souls in purgatory by offering prayers in suffrage for them, especially the Eucharistic. Sacrifice of the Mass. They also help them by almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance” (Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 210-211).

Reformation’s rejection of Purgatory In general, Protestant churches reject the doctrine of purgatory. The denial of the existence of purgatory could be based on their fear of showing excessive confidence in human works and in the ability of the

Church to intercede for those who have left this world. Aside from Protestantism’s belief that ‘faith alone’ (sola fide) will save us, another central tenet is ‘scripture alone’ (sola scriptura). The general Protestant view is that the Bible, from which Protestants exclude deuterocanonical books such as 2 Maccabees, contains no overt, explicit discussion of purgatory and therefore it should be rejected as an unbiblical belief. Nonetheless, the sola scriptura principle is self-defeating argument. The tenet itself that says we should believe only what is in the Bible is itself not found in the Bible. Thus, ‘scripture alone’ doctrine is not based on Scriptures. There is no such reference to it in the entire Bible. It is, therefore, not biblical but merely ideological. What is biblical is this? In the Old Testament, the Book of Maccabees narrates the prayers made for the souls of those who died in battle. This episode proves the belief in the existence of a state of purification beyond death (cf. 2 Mac. 12:40-45). If prayers were offered for the dead, it is because they may not be in heaven yet. Otherwise, what is the point of praying for them if they are already enjoying the celestial paradise? On the other hand, if those souls were in hell, neither would there be any use praying for them. In the New Testament, St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians presents Christian purification in this world and in the next through the image of fire (cf. 1 Cor. 3:10-15). Pope Benedict XVI, in his Encyclical Spe salvi wrote: “Some theologians are of the opinion that the fire which both burns and saves is Christ himself the Judge and Saviour” (Spe Salvi, 47).

Even though the doctrine of purgatory was not formally defined until the Middle Ages (cf. DS 856, 1304), the ancient and unanimous practice of offering prayers for the dead, especially the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, is a clear indication of the Church’s belief in purification in the next world.

Puri�ication needed to meet God Rather than being a “place,” purgatory should be thought of as a “state” of temporary and painful separation from God in which venial sins are pardoned and the soul is cleansed from the inclination to evil left by sin, and the temporal punishment due to sin is fulfilled. Sin not only offends God and harms the sinner himself, but because of the communion of the Saints it damages the Church, the world and humanity. The Church’s prayer for the dead re-establishes right order and justice to some extent, principally through the Mass, almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance (cf. CCC, 1032). Theologians teach that those in purgatory suffer greatly, according to each one’s situation. Nevertheless, it is a suffering filled with meaning, “a blessed suffering” (Spe salvi, 47). Hence, Christians are invited to seek purification from sin in their present life through contrition, sacrifice or mortification, reparation and a holy life How about the case of children who die before Baptism? The Church entrusts children who die without being baptized to the mercy of God. There are reasons to think that God in some way welcomes them, whether because of the

great affection Jesus showed for children (cf. Mk 10:14), or whether because his Son was sent so that all might be saved (cf. 1 Tim. 2:4)). At the same time, relying on divine mercy is no reason for delaying the administration of the Sacrament of Baptism to newborn babies (Code of Canon Law, 867). It confers a particular configuration to Christ; “it signifies and actually brings about death to sin and entry into the life of the Most Holy Trinity through configuration to the Paschal mystery of Christ” (CCC 1239).

De�initive rejection of God Holy Scripture teaches repeatedly that men who do not repent of their grave sins lose the eternal prize of communion with God, suffering perpetual misery. “To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God’s merciful love means remaining separated from Him for ever by our own free choice. This state of self-exclusion from communion with God and with the blessed is called ‘hell’ (CCC, 1033).” God does not predestine anyone to perpetual condemnation, it is a man himself who by seeking his ultimate goal outside of God and His will, makes himself an isolated world into which the light and love of God cannot penetrate. Hell is a mystery, the mystery of rejected love, a sign of the destructive power of human freedom when it abandons God (cf. Spe salvi, 45). When considering hell it is traditional to distinguish between the “pain of loss” and the “pain of the senses.” The pain of loss is the more fundamental and involves the most suffering; it consists in the unending separation from

LiViNG FAiTHRev. Fr. Daniel icatlo

SELF-EXCLUSION FROM COMMUNION WITH GOD

“After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them” (Matthew 25,19)

(Contd on Pg. 7)

It is fascinating to see what was on Jesus’ mind as He prayed, not only for Himself but for His disciples and for us.“I do not pray for these alone, but also for

those who will believe in “me through their word …… that they also may be one in us.” (John 17:20-21). He invites us to be intercessors too. God gives us instructions to pray for others in several places in the Bible. The Apostle James tells us to “pray for one another, that you may be healed” (James 5:16). The earliest Scriptural reference to prayers for the dead comes from the Second Book of Maccabees. It tells us how Judas Maccabee led his troops to battle in 163 BC. When the battle was over he directed that the bodies of the Jews who died, be buried. They prayed for the dead that God would forgive the sin these men had committed (2 Mac.12:39-45). In the New Testament it echoes when Paul offers a prayer for a man who had died, (Onesiphorus) “May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day”. (2 Timothy 1:18). By the fourth century prayers for the dead are mentioned in Christian literature as though they were already a longstanding custom. The practice of praying for the dead is rooted in

the Christian belief of everlasting life promised by Jesus and the disciple’s experience that God had raised Him from the dead. Praying for the dead also origins from our belief in the ‘Communion of Saints’. Christians who have died continue to be members of the Communion of Saints. We believe that we can assist them by our prayers and they can assist us by theirs. Prayers for the dead begin at the moment of death, with the family gathering in prayer around the bedside of the person who has died. These prayers express hope that God will free the dead person from the burden of sin and grant him/her a place in Heaven. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1030) teaches us that all who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the Joy of Heaven. Due of the Communion of Saints, the faithful who are still pilgrims on earth are able to help the souls in purgatory by offering prayers in suffrage for them, especially the Eucharistic sacrifice. They also help them by almsgiving, indulgences and works of penance

Communion of Saints - Praying for one another(CCC 1032). The souls of these individuals have not yet been completely purified of their sins. They must undergo purification after death, a fact which demonstrates that God’s mercy does not stop at the moment of death. Instead, divine mercy continues even after that moment to prepare a soul to receive God’s loving embrace in heaven. The Church today refers to the souls in Purgatory as “our brethren … who having died are still being purified” (Lumen Gentium, no. 51). They continue to be important members of the Church, of the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ according to our belief in the Communion of Saints. We are able to assist the faithful departed by our prayers. The holy souls in Heaven also belong to the Communion of Saints. They already enjoy to the fullest the Glory of God and they can intercede for us. All these together form one family in Christ, to the praise and glory of the Holy Trinity. (CCC 958)

By Yasmin Mendis


Caterina BenincasalSt. Catherine of Siena, 1347-1380

“The one who had received fi ve talents came forward bringing the additional fi ve” (Matthew 25,20)

(Continued from last week)

The Middle Ages were drawing to a close and the brave new world of the Renaissance was springing to life when charming C a t h e r i n e Benincasa was blooming in Siena. She was very much a woman for the time of crisis a woman of action than a mere cosmetic spectacle of self-display. Unlike men in pursuit of pure rational speculation as solutions for crises, she notwithstanding her pre-scientific untrained raw wit with extreme austerity and asceticism declared war on herself as a means of unleashing war on the socio-political order that needed reform. This resonate words of the Buddha: “Though one may conquer a thousand times a thousand men in battle, yet he indeed is the noblest victor who conquers himself.” No man could overpower Catherine’s will which mastered, no Dionysian mores Nietzschean terms, that makes a girl desirable to men and marriage. Hence she became the protofeminist!

The Power of Quiet Rebellion As Christopher check sums it so well: “At age 12, Catherine is pressured by her parents to submit to an arranged marriage, she defiantly cuts off her hair and neglects her appearance. Later, the young woman develops quite a following in her town. Men and women alike seek her counsel. Soon she is bringing influence to bear in political circles unknown to women. She arbitrates family feuds. She brokers peace within and between the City-States of Tuscany. Bankers, generals, princes, dukes, kings and queens, as well as scholars and abbots seek her counsel. Her admonitions inspire the pope to restore the papacy to Rome. She initiates plans for a crusade and writes one of the greatest works of medieval literature. She accomplishes all of this like Christ in 33 years. Hasn’t she made it big in a man’s world?” Thus marking the feminine turn in the late middle age religious culture, Catherine has become a model for Catholic Feminists and so it was implicitly acknowledged on April 29, 2000 which was the day chosen for the signing of The Madeleva Manifesto: A Message of Hope and Courage to Women in the Church, a manifesto composed at St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame by leading Catholic Feminists with a progressive approach. Quite contrasting to contemporary feminism is Catherine’s uninformed self-effasive feminism which is radically different from its modern forms which is reductive to exclusive ambitions of self-empowerment. Unmarried to a worldly spouse yet

literally espoused to her heavenly Lord, Catherine lived a mystical marriage and spousalhood as a laywoman and mothered a large family of sons and daughters who called her affectionately la mamma. She thus practiced paradoxical wisdom of “lose yourself in me and you will find yourself” (Matthew 10:39, 16:25) becoming a mother in a marriage of a higher order. She is the princess of the Domestic Church, a woman living at home outside convent walls yet within walls of her spiritual convictions. It was a self-constructed secret cell of non-violent resistance to the world outside in her mind. This “open mental cloister” allowed her to uncompromisingly hold on to a positive view of herself no matter what the world tells her. This is the cell or the garment of self-knowledge which protects one’s spiritual identity and nakedness against the harshness of life in the world. This cell is the bridal chamber where she becomes unveiled to her spouse who tells her in dialogue: “Do you know who you are and who I am? You are she who is not; whereas I am He who is. Have this knowledge in your soul and the Enemy will never deceive you.” This is contrary to the spirit of modern feminism that seeks to liberate self identity by self-constructed pseudo identities based on fanatical equalism. Modern feminism’s success which is measured by how it keeps up with masculine standards and roles is way below par with the model of feminism seen in Catherine’s life as a woman. Today feminism’s triumphant march is gauged solely in terms of penetration into historically masculine spheres. How is this a victory for women? Ironically, what gets lost in the modern feminist project is the true feminine genius unique to women. If success of the feminist goal is measured purely on the acquisition of socio-political-economic power what power did Catherine have so as to persuade even the Vicar of Christ at the highest level?

Catherines’ Body Politics Rulers use ideas to implement and exercise power even to the extent of leading masses to bloodshed by practicing ‘bloody politics’, whereas Catherine used her own body to do the same - resembling a Christological Approach to leadership making her a model of the suffering servant. French Post Structuralist thinker Michel Foucault in his 1975 work Discipline and Punish says, that bodies are compelled through disciplines and truth is one legitimation for the imposition of these disciplines. The regimen is the truth and its practice is the truth game, contested on the site of the body. It is a kind of social control through acts of self mortification and discipline which Catherine practiced severely. She is the maiden of the body (of Christ and of the Church) as she spoke in her Dialogue of being clothed in Christ’s flesh who revealed His desire in the words: “I never give up trying to make you like me … I try to create within your soul too, in this life, what then took place in my body…” Consequently in 1367, she received a betrothal ring from Christ made out of the circumcised flesh of the

infant Jesus, and the nuptial meaning of her body would augment even more when in 1375, she would be marked with the stigmata of Christ, literally manifesting what it means to “put on Christ” according to the words of the Apostle Paul (Romans 13:14, Galatians 3:27) making herself and Christ no longer two but one flesh - fulfilling the mystery of the Eucharist as a covenantal marriage.

The illiterate Scholar Paul VI in his 1970 homily proclaiming Catherine a Doctor of the Church had this to say: “Her writings reflect and in a surprising degree, the Theology of the Angelic Doctor, it is, however, apparent that she is deprived of any scientific learning.” The bull of her canonization says that her doctrine was infused and not acquired, yet her dictated writings demonstrate a solid knowledge of Augustinian philosophy and of Scripture. Her doctrine is free of any traces of Aristotelian Thomism or Neo-Scholasticism, but reflects sort of Thomistic Augustinianism. Her philosophy can be considered Augustinian with minus doctrine of predestination and Platonic primordial forms. Catherine’s concept of God never speaks of God as the First Mover (Aristotle, Metaphysica XII, ch.7.) like Thomas Aquinas did and did not consider God in a mutual dependency with the world like Eckhart did, rather she was convinced that God in His own nature does not need us and the only reason why God created us was His love for us. Instead of predestination Catherine stresses the freedom of will, the only faculty of the soul that is unaffected by original sin and that God respects the freedom of choice in us. “He has created us without us but will not save us without us” (Dialogue 23), thus for Catherine the human free will has a central position in the process of salvation. Her entire doctrine extends to Theo-Philosophical themes such as: Freedom, Grace, Virtue, Salvation, Intelligence, Reason, Providence, Perfection of the Soul, Poverty, Suffering, Prayer, Truth, Tears etc., demonstrating her knowledge of God, the nature of the soul, the relationship of God to man, between intelligence faith and virtue and of the religious foundation of moral action in particular that exemplified by charity towards our neighbour. Having no formal education or being a disciple of no teacher of repute Catherine’s doctrine shows purity and an originality that is unmatched and her involvement in Church politics was based on her philosophical and theological conviction that her knowledge imposed on her a duty to act on her beliefs, even at great personal risk. In doing so she is in the company of those philosophers whose philosophy, more than a sterile intellectual system always implied a fecund way of life; not to see the world as it is but for what it could be and become.

(To be continued)

Rev. Fr. Anthony Nilantha EdiriwickremaHead of the Department of Philosophy

The National Seminary of Our Lady of Lanka, Ampitiya

(Contd from Pg. 1)

St. Joseph Vaz ....(Contd from Pg. 6)Self Exclusion ....

(Contd from Pg. 1)

Prayer for Victims ... the God for whom the human heart

always longs. The pain of the senses we find frequently referred to in the Gospels under the figure of eternal fire. The teaching on hell in the New Testament is a call to us to be responsible in the use we make of gifts and talents we have received: A call to conversion. The existence of hell make the gravity of mortal sin very clear and the need to take every measure to avoid it, chiefly, as stands to reason, through trusting and humble prayer. The possibility of being condemned reminds Christians of the need to live a life that is completely apostolic. Without doubt, the existence of hell is a mystery, the mystery of the justice of God for those who shut themselves off from His merciful pardon.

of 24 March 1944. On Wednesday, November 1, the So-lemnity of All Saints, as he looked ahead to the following day’s visit, he asked the faithful who had gathered for the Angelus in Saint Pe-ter’s Square to join him in prayer at those two moments of remem-brance and suffrage for the victims of war and violence. Wars produce nothing but cemeteries and death. 0

the Oratorian saintly priest from Goa, India who braved all odds to infiltrate Sri Lanka in the guise of a coolie and serve a persecuted Catholic community bereft of spiritual nourishment during the Dutch persecution in the island. He thereby re-ignited and preserved the Catholic faith under trying circumstances bravely enduring much suffering and sacrifice, which included imprisonment, hunger, fatigue, serious illness and an untimely death. Addressing the audience at the end of the drama the Apostolic Nuncio said that November 19, (33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time) was declared as the first World Day of the Poor by His Holiness Pope Francis in a special Apostolic Letter to the Universal Church on the feast day of St. Anthony of Padua on June 13, this year. It is a reminder to us that there is a great need around us and that St. Joseph Vaz in his own way had loved and served the poor and that

we too should emulate the example of St. Joseph Vaz and serve the poor in our own families and in our neighbourhoods. His Excellency congratulated the producer and the drama cast and said that using the traditional method of drama enabled us to keep alive the cultural practice of storytelling and that all the actors on stage did their best to perform well in interpreting their role and characters to render alive on stage what he had heard and read so far about St. Joseph Vaz. Seeing this drama enabled him to go back in time to visualise the apostolate of the greatest Missionary whom Sri Lanka was fortunate to have had and that staging this drama was noteworthy, especially given that this year is dedicated to St. Joseph Vaz. Commenting on the production the Director of the drama Richard Manamudali said that the entire cast consisted of volunteers who have come forward to express their gratitude to this great saint for his heroic missionary sacrifice and to give glory to God who guided him in this task.

(Text and Pic. by Trevor Ludowyke)


Very Rev. Fr. Bonfilius Galassi OSB, the Su-perior Major of the

Sylvestro Benedictine Con-gregation in Sri Lanka, who was also the Vicar General of Kandy chose to move into the sequestered glade which would later be St. Sylvester’s Monastery or Monte Fano from the city of Kandy in the year C.E. 1927. The superior major, after much difficulty, given that the adjacent land belonged to a prominent Buddhist temple, and with the grace of God and with the assistance of the Ordinary of Kandy, Bishop Bede Beek-meyer OSB, was able to purchase a secluded ‘walauwa’ and gradu-ally move in with a small band of monks. Situated on the outskirts of Kandy, in a typical rural setting, Monte Fano, the Mother House of the Sylvestro Benedictines of Sri Lanka, stands in perfect harmony with its surroundings. Simple by today’s standards, yet majestic in appearance, it does lend enchant-ment to the landscape. Flanked on one side by a historic Buddhist temple, it faced the quondam of the then Papal Seminary. (now the Na-tional Seminary of Sri Lanka). Its remoteness from the city provides the seclusion and peace necessary for prayer and study. Monte Fano is a true blessing and reward from God to the monks who have left their homesteads only to experi-ence the fraternal spirit, the salu-brious climate and the fertile soil of Monte Fano. A few alterations had to be made to the original ‘Yatawara Waluwa’, before the community of monks moved into it. The house was blessed on the 25th of Novem-ber C.E. 1927, by the Prior Major, and the next day, which happened to be the feast of the founder of the Sylvestro-Benedictines, St. Sylves-ter Guzzolini (C.E. 1177-1267). It is not a matter of coincidence then that this year marks 90 years since the founding of Monte Fano and the 750th anniversary of St. Sylves-ter passing into glory (Transitus). Therefore, the year 2017 is to be celebrated for two causes by the sons of St. Sylvester in Sri Lanka. Fr. D. Hildebrand Van Reyk OSB, the master of novices celebrated Holy Mass for the first time and brought into being ‘Monte Fano’. The name ‘Monte Fano’ was borrowed from the original foun-dation of St. Sylvester’s Monastery in Fabriano, Italy. Monte Fano was recognized as a house of forma-tion with having only two resident monks, a privilege at the time given the urgent need of priests in the missions and other institutions. The first community consisted of six professed monks and two pos-tulants with Fr. Hildebrand Van

Reyk as their head as master of novices and local supe-rior. This small community continued to live in the old reconditioned ‘walauwa’ for more than a year under very try-ing conditions, in the company of a host of pestiferous rats, a variety of poisonous snakes and venomous scorpions. Work on the new building commenced in January C.E. 1932. Under the supervision of Dom Hil-debrand, a master craftsman, the commurnity of monks did yeoman service in an effort to move into better quarters by Eastertide of the same year. With the completion of the new block, which was used as a residential quarters, the last vestiges of the ‘walauwa’ began to disappear to make room for a mod-est Chapel and a refectory. Not very long after this initial break through, building operations at Monte Fano went on rapidly with regular shifts on the Chapel, refectory and par-lour. The extension of the build-ing was necessitated by the steady inflow of vocations. After the lean years which coincided with the war years, there was an encourag-ing influx of vocations from far off shores of Kerala, South India. The problem of accommodation and the need for a permanent chapel, which was central to the monk’s prayer life, made expansion an im-perative. The Abbot General, Rt. Rev. Dom Hildebrand Gregori OSB, during his visit in 1949, approved plans for a new chapel. Thereafter the monks lost no time in providing themselves with a much felt need. The foundation stone was laid and the work on the new chapel got un-derway on the feast of St. Sylvester, 1949. The hopes of the community to have it completed in time to cel-ebrate the feast of St. Sylvester the following year were not fully real-ized. However, a few weeks later, on the 19th of December 1950, the new Chapel was blessed by the in-cumbent Bishop of Kandy, Bishop Regno, himself a son of St. Sylves-ter, and the Holy Mass was offered for the first time on the following day. This building, which serves as Monte Fano Chapel even today,

stands as a fitting tribute to the originality and artistry of Very Rev. Dom Romauld Baldarelli OSB, The erstwhile Superior Major of Monte Fano. It is very attractively built on a typical Kandyan style, and fits the environment to a tee. The chapel is a monument of appreciation of translating native architecture to Church buildings. The chapel con-sists of a long aisle, with choir stalls on either side, a long parallel ve-randah, with two octagonal towers, one on each side, a Kandyan style roof and pillars to match. The sanc-tuary is exquisite, in spite of, or be-cause of its simplicity. The present altar of repose also contains many facets of local art. With the flow of time the community increased considerably and a new block was added in 1957 to house the scholastics. This was during the tenure of office of Dom Gregory Phoebus OSB. Thereafter a much felt need was served with the addition of yet another block in 1962, during the tenure of the Superior Majorship of Dom Simon Tonini OSB, who later led the con-gregation as Abbot General. In the early sixties, the monks from Kerala, who had left their homeland and had come pre-pared to serve the vineyard of The Lord in Sri Lanka were forced by circumstances beyond the control of the monks to return to their na-tive shores. This was because the government decided to refuse the extension of visas to foreign mis-sionaries. This was certainly a blessing in disguise because the In-dian monks who left found Kerala a very fertile ground for vocations, and today they compare very fa-vourably, number-wise, with any of the other Sylvestrine foundations in India. The celebration of the Gold-en Jubilee at Monte Fano in 1977 was marred by the demise of Bishop Ber-nard Regno OSB, who was a tower of strength to all at Monte Fano. His exemplary life, his abstemious ways, his attentive prayerfulness was not lost on his confreres with his passing away. Two other Benedictine stal-

warts were called to their heavenly homeland in 1982. They were Bish-op Leo Nanayakkara OSB and Dom Lawrence Hyde OSB. In May 1983, by decree of the general chapter, held in Rome, Monte Fano took a new identity. It was named a ‘Conventual Priory’ of St. Sylvester, Abbot. A new retreat center was opened at Monte Fano, to meet the demands of people who sought a Benedictine environment to refresh their thirsting souls. To mark the milestone of 150 years of Benedictine mission and presence in Sri Lanka, a symposium was conducted at Monte Fano in August 1995, which was well attended by many from various religious con-gregations. The celebrations in-cluded the laying of a foundation stone for a new block of buildings to the retreat center to cater the desires of many who sought to be alone with God. Another milestone was es-tablished in Sri Lankan Benedictine history in 1996, when the new Ab-bot General, Rt. Rev. Dom Andrea Pantaloni OSB decided to have the Abbatial blessing conducted locally at St. Anthony’s Cathedral Kandy. This same year the monks saw the blessing of the new wing of the extended retreat house at Monte Fano. The years 2007 and 2017 were also significant years in the history of Monte Fano, on account of the annual general meeting of the Indo Sri Lankan Benedictine Federation (ISBF) being held there. The representatives of various Benedictine congregations both in Sri Lanka and India gathered at Monte Fano to experience the filial bond that unites all the sons and daughters of St. Benedict. Monte Fano has stood the test of time as a center of Bene-dictine spirituality and a hospice for those who seek God in a cul-ture that seems to drift away from God. The year 2017 marks the 90th year since the establishment of this ‘school of the Lord’s service’ and is one of many milestones to come in the future.

“He said, ‘Master, you gave me fi ve talents. See, I have made fi ve more’” (Matthew 25,20

Transitus of St. Sylvester of osimo

This year we, the Sylves-tro-Benedictine monks, who are serving the

Church in Sri Lanka since 1845, celebrate the 750th Anniversary of entry into glory of our Saintly Founder, St. Sylvester of Osimo and the 90th anniversary of the foundation of ‘Monte Fano’, our Mother House, situated in Kandy. All these moments are historical milestones inviting us to ascent to the summit of holi-ness which is the common voca-tion of the Church. The Sylvestrine Congre-gation, a member of the Order of St. Benedict, was founded by St. Sylvester Guzzolini (1177-1267) in the Marche of Ancona, Italy. In 1231 Sylvester founded the hermitage of Monte Fano, near Fabriano, Italy, which is the spiritual centre of the Congregation. His movement was centered here and obtained canonical appro-bation from Pope Innocent IV on June 27, 1248 with the Bull ‘Re-ligiosam Vitam.’ Sylvester passed into his glory and was gathered to his people on November 26, 1267 and was canonized in 1598 by Pope Clement VIII. All of his first disciples have been raised to the honours of the altar: St. Ugo, St. John of the staff, Bl. John Baculo, Bl. Paulinus Bigazzini, Bl. Bartholi, Bl. Joseph, Bl. Simon, Bl. John the Solitary and Bl. Benvenuti. A celebration of a feast of a Founder is a moment of re-newal of and recommitment to the particular vocation, to the val-ues passed on to the Church by him (and lived by his first disci-ples). Therefore, this feast of St. Sylvester, together with the 90th anniversary of the foundation of ‘Monte Fano’, our Mother House in Kandy, are an invitation to rekindle the initial fervor with which we embraced our charism which is ‘to seek God through solitude, community and ministry’. St. Sylvester built his life on Gospel values as his biographer Andrea Jacobi says, “He delighted in the abundant fruit of the virtues and was immersed in the con-templation of the divine” (The Man of God Sylvester, by Vincent Fattorini OSB, Holy Face Monastery, NJ, 1991, p. 35) and he lived his life with “fervour” (or in the words of Pope Francis “Passion”) for one’s vocation, mission and destiny. His biographer says, “His behaviour showed no signs of laziness; on the contrary he was constant in prayer and in preaching; he was loved by people and dear to God” (The Man of God Sylvester by Vincent Fattorini OSB, Holy Face Monastery, New Jersey, 1991, p. 14). Saints rekindle in us an attraction for heaven. They make us fall in love with the heavenly city. They burst into flame in our hearts the desire to unite ourselves with the great family of the sanctified brethren (of which we already have the grace to form a part, to be a part). They show us what the Psalmist says in 73:25, “I have no one in heaven but Thee, on earth I desire nothing but thee.” If not in the lives of Saints where else can we see this enor-mous desire (thirst, passion, zeal, wanting) for God? In his fa-mous homily for the Feast of All Saints, St. Bernard says, “But I tell you, when I think of them, I feel myself inflamed by a tremendous yearning.” As sinful as we are, our humble desire should be to try to go along the way of the Saints. In this context the following beautiful chorus should echo in our hearts and beckon to us to aspire to greater heights of holiness: O when the Saints go marching in - When the Saints go marching in, O Lord, I want to be in that number – O When the Saints go marching in. As we celebrate the 750th anniversary of the heavenly birth of our Holy Founder, let us thank and praise the Lord, Our Saviour, for all the blessings He has showered upon our congre-gation, especially our Priory, recalling all the mighty work God was able to accomplish over the last 170 years through the mis-sionary labours of the Sylvestro Benedictine monks in Sri Lanka.

Very Rev. Fr. Shamindra Jayawardena OSBConventual Prior

Message of the Conventual Prior

it marked the eclipse of the Medieval Era when the Holy Mother Church herself opened up for new dimensions in con-

secrated life. It was during this age when St. Francis of Assisi and his exemplary life of poverty was admired and embraced by many. It was then; the miraculous wonders and eloquent speeches of St. Anthony of Padua became widespread. Moreover, it was then the stupendous theologies and popular devotions of St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Dominic were presented to the world. Yet there remains an untold narra-tive of another illustrious saint, which lies submerged under the great shadows of the aforementioned legends. It is none other than the Life of St. Sylvester Guzzolini who became the founder of the ‘Sylvestro Bene-dictines’ by acquiring the Holy Rule of St. Benedict (5th century) and embracing the monastic way of life, in the 13th century. In brief, his life story could be rat-ed eccentric in comparison to the lives of his contemporaries. Being born to a noble family in Osimo, Italy in 1177 AD, Sylvester was sent for higher studies to Bologna Uni-versity. His father’s desire to see his son ex-cel as a professional lawyer was interrupt-ed when Sylvester decided to discontinue the secular studies and explore the theo-logical doctrines and to become a Canon in the Cathedral of Osimo. Later on, he was deeply distressed by the sight of the decay-ing corpse of his relative and contemplated

“What he was; now I am, what he is; I will be.” At another instance when he was in a deep contemplation he experienced an ec-static vision of an old monk (St. Benedict, as told by his biographer) coming down to him and presenting him the monastic robe and the holy rule. Pondering upon these signs of time Sylvester decided to live a life of asceti-cism. However, the fame of this Holy Saint spread across villages and cities and flocks of faithful gathered round this spiritual shepherd. For this reason, they were called “Benedictine monks of Monte Fano” which was eventually granted the Papal approba-tion as a Religious Congregation by Pope In-nocent IV in 1248 AD. The roots of the spirituality of the Sylvestrines lie in the Benedictine motto “Ora et Labora et Lectio Divina.” It is also at-tuned with the monastic vows of obedience, stability and fidelity to monastic virtues to manipulate the charism of seeking God in solitude, community and apostolate.

After three centuries, with the influence of the Renaissance, the European coloniza-tion process was launched and among the greatest gifts from this process to Ceylon was Christianity. Even though the momen-tum was changed when one nation tried to uproot the seeds of Christian faith planted by their predecessor nation in the island, yet due to the untiring efforts of St. Joseph Vaz and the Indian Oratorians, the faith was remodeled in the hearts of all believers in Ceylon. Thus was the background when the Sylvestrines arrived in the island. The first Sylvestrine monk to set foot on the then Ceylon was Msgr. Joseph Maria Bravi OSB, who disembarked from the Colombo Port

on August 14, 1845. Here onwards they expanded their missionary services in the Southern Vicariate of Co-lombo covering the coastal belt from Negombo to Galle and later on to borders of Kandy and Badulla. In the hall of fame of the Catholic Church of Sri Lanka, the golden chain of Benedictine prelates hold a higher esteem. The Schol-arly viewpoint confirms that the golden era of the Ceylon Catholic Church was during the episcopate of Rt. Rev. Dr. Hilarian Sillani OSB, who succeeded Bish-op Bravi. It was during the episcopate of Bishop Clem-

ent Pangnani OSB, the General Curia gave orders to initiate the new diocese of Kandy and Bishop Pangnani was appointed as its first shepherd. His successor, Rt. Rev. Dr. Bede Beekmeyer OSB, was the first local to be raised to the of-fice of Bishop. Bishop Bernard Regno OSB or rather “the coolie bishop,” is remark-able for his service towards the poverty-stricken estate work-ers of the hill country. In the recent past, Bishop Leo Nanayak-kara OSB, who was appointed as the first Bishop of the Badulla Diocese, was also a forerunner of the process of venaculariza-

tion, which was initiated after the Second Vatican Council. Rt. Rev. Dr. Cletus Perera OSB, who is presently serving in the Dio-cese of Ratnapura, also manifests the pride of the Sylvestrine Misson in Sri Lanka. Apart from these, the Sylvestrines were also influential in producing new facets in the fields of Sacred Music and Sacred Lit-urgy in the island, for which they were well renowned from earlier times, including the adaptations from Gregorian Music and Mo-nastic Liturgy. In addition, they were the pioneers in establishing Catholic Schools in the country. The first Catholic School of the country, St. Benedict’s College, Kotahe-na and St. Anthony’s College, Katugastota may provide sufficient evidence to prove the above statement. Thus, the year 2017 is fabricated with some glorious memories of the past. Firstly, the 750th anniversary of the heav-enly birth of our father, St. Sylvester would be celebrated with joy this year (1267 AD). Secondly, the 90th anniversary of erecting our mother house at ‘Monte Fano,’ Ampiti-ya. A brief glimpse of its past would show us that the house, which formerly was the “Yatawara Walauwa,” was renovated and consecrated as “St. Sylvester’s Monastery, Monte Fano on November 25, 1927 by the then Prior Major, Very. Rev. Fr. Bonfil-ius Galassi OSB. This was done with the handing over of the Abbey of St. Anthony, which was also the first ever Benedictine Monastery built outside Europe after 700 years, to the Diocese of Kandy as its Cathe-dral. Later on some more complexes were adjoined to the main edifice. Among those are the Main Chapel (1949), which was erected in accordance with the traditional Kandyan architectural features even be-fore the Second Vatican Council promoted venacularization, The Holy Face Chapel (1977), where a photocopy of the Holy Shroud of Jesus is being preserved, The Re-treat House (1989) and St. Benedict’s Col-lege (Pvt.) which was completed in 2011. Finally, this year marks the commence-ment of a three year spiritual preparation for the forthcoming Dodransbicentennial jubilee (175th anniversary in 2020) of the Sylvestrine Mission in Sri Lanka. On this feast day of our father, St. Sylvester, let us sing praises with one ac-cord to the Almighty who has immensely blessed us the Sylvestrines to serve in His

vineyard and may He strengthen us more and more to serve for the Catholic Church of Sri Lanka.

A Voice of Silence

The Cave where the St. Sylvester lived in Fabriano

Tomb of St. Sylvester

St. Sylvester’s Monastery, Monte Fano, Kandy (1927-2017)

By Rev. Bro. Dom. Kokila Fernando OSB

By Rev. Fr. Stephen Abraham OSB


Very Rev. Fr. Bonfilius Galassi OSB, the Su-perior Major of the

Sylvestro Benedictine Con-gregation in Sri Lanka, who was also the Vicar General of Kandy chose to move into the sequestered glade which would later be St. Sylvester’s Monastery or Monte Fano from the city of Kandy in the year C.E. 1927. The superior major, after much difficulty, given that the adjacent land belonged to a prominent Buddhist temple, and with the grace of God and with the assistance of the Ordinary of Kandy, Bishop Bede Beek-meyer OSB, was able to purchase a secluded ‘walauwa’ and gradu-ally move in with a small band of monks. Situated on the outskirts of Kandy, in a typical rural setting, Monte Fano, the Mother House of the Sylvestro Benedictines of Sri Lanka, stands in perfect harmony with its surroundings. Simple by today’s standards, yet majestic in appearance, it does lend enchant-ment to the landscape. Flanked on one side by a historic Buddhist temple, it faced the quondam of the then Papal Seminary. (now the Na-tional Seminary of Sri Lanka). Its remoteness from the city provides the seclusion and peace necessary for prayer and study. Monte Fano is a true blessing and reward from God to the monks who have left their homesteads only to experi-ence the fraternal spirit, the salu-brious climate and the fertile soil of Monte Fano. A few alterations had to be made to the original ‘Yatawara Waluwa’, before the community of monks moved into it. The house was blessed on the 25th of Novem-ber C.E. 1927, by the Prior Major, and the next day, which happened to be the feast of the founder of the Sylvestro-Benedictines, St. Sylves-ter Guzzolini (C.E. 1177-1267). It is not a matter of coincidence then that this year marks 90 years since the founding of Monte Fano and the 750th anniversary of St. Sylves-ter passing into glory (Transitus). Therefore, the year 2017 is to be celebrated for two causes by the sons of St. Sylvester in Sri Lanka. Fr. D. Hildebrand Van Reyk OSB, the master of novices celebrated Holy Mass for the first time and brought into being ‘Monte Fano’. The name ‘Monte Fano’ was borrowed from the original foun-dation of St. Sylvester’s Monastery in Fabriano, Italy. Monte Fano was recognized as a house of forma-tion with having only two resident monks, a privilege at the time given the urgent need of priests in the missions and other institutions. The first community consisted of six professed monks and two pos-tulants with Fr. Hildebrand Van

Reyk as their head as master of novices and local supe-rior. This small community continued to live in the old reconditioned ‘walauwa’ for more than a year under very try-ing conditions, in the company of a host of pestiferous rats, a variety of poisonous snakes and venomous scorpions. Work on the new building commenced in January C.E. 1932. Under the supervision of Dom Hil-debrand, a master craftsman, the commurnity of monks did yeoman service in an effort to move into better quarters by Eastertide of the same year. With the completion of the new block, which was used as a residential quarters, the last vestiges of the ‘walauwa’ began to disappear to make room for a mod-est Chapel and a refectory. Not very long after this initial break through, building operations at Monte Fano went on rapidly with regular shifts on the Chapel, refectory and par-lour. The extension of the build-ing was necessitated by the steady inflow of vocations. After the lean years which coincided with the war years, there was an encourag-ing influx of vocations from far off shores of Kerala, South India. The problem of accommodation and the need for a permanent chapel, which was central to the monk’s prayer life, made expansion an im-perative. The Abbot General, Rt. Rev. Dom Hildebrand Gregori OSB, during his visit in 1949, approved plans for a new chapel. Thereafter the monks lost no time in providing themselves with a much felt need. The foundation stone was laid and the work on the new chapel got un-derway on the feast of St. Sylvester, 1949. The hopes of the community to have it completed in time to cel-ebrate the feast of St. Sylvester the following year were not fully real-ized. However, a few weeks later, on the 19th of December 1950, the new Chapel was blessed by the in-cumbent Bishop of Kandy, Bishop Regno, himself a son of St. Sylves-ter, and the Holy Mass was offered for the first time on the following day. This building, which serves as Monte Fano Chapel even today,

stands as a fitting tribute to the originality and artistry of Very Rev. Dom Romauld Baldarelli OSB, The erstwhile Superior Major of Monte Fano. It is very attractively built on a typical Kandyan style, and fits the environment to a tee. The chapel is a monument of appreciation of translating native architecture to Church buildings. The chapel con-sists of a long aisle, with choir stalls on either side, a long parallel ve-randah, with two octagonal towers, one on each side, a Kandyan style roof and pillars to match. The sanc-tuary is exquisite, in spite of, or be-cause of its simplicity. The present altar of repose also contains many facets of local art. With the flow of time the community increased considerably and a new block was added in 1957 to house the scholastics. This was during the tenure of office of Dom Gregory Phoebus OSB. Thereafter a much felt need was served with the addition of yet another block in 1962, during the tenure of the Superior Majorship of Dom Simon Tonini OSB, who later led the con-gregation as Abbot General. In the early sixties, the monks from Kerala, who had left their homeland and had come pre-pared to serve the vineyard of The Lord in Sri Lanka were forced by circumstances beyond the control of the monks to return to their na-tive shores. This was because the government decided to refuse the extension of visas to foreign mis-sionaries. This was certainly a blessing in disguise because the In-dian monks who left found Kerala a very fertile ground for vocations, and today they compare very fa-vourably, number-wise, with any of the other Sylvestrine foundations in India. The celebration of the Gold-en Jubilee at Monte Fano in 1977 was marred by the demise of Bishop Ber-nard Regno OSB, who was a tower of strength to all at Monte Fano. His exemplary life, his abstemious ways, his attentive prayerfulness was not lost on his confreres with his passing away. Two other Benedictine stal-

warts were called to their heavenly homeland in 1982. They were Bish-op Leo Nanayakkara OSB and Dom Lawrence Hyde OSB. In May 1983, by decree of the general chapter, held in Rome, Monte Fano took a new identity. It was named a ‘Conventual Priory’ of St. Sylvester, Abbot. A new retreat center was opened at Monte Fano, to meet the demands of people who sought a Benedictine environment to refresh their thirsting souls. To mark the milestone of 150 years of Benedictine mission and presence in Sri Lanka, a symposium was conducted at Monte Fano in August 1995, which was well attended by many from various religious con-gregations. The celebrations in-cluded the laying of a foundation stone for a new block of buildings to the retreat center to cater the desires of many who sought to be alone with God. Another milestone was es-tablished in Sri Lankan Benedictine history in 1996, when the new Ab-bot General, Rt. Rev. Dom Andrea Pantaloni OSB decided to have the Abbatial blessing conducted locally at St. Anthony’s Cathedral Kandy. This same year the monks saw the blessing of the new wing of the extended retreat house at Monte Fano. The years 2007 and 2017 were also significant years in the history of Monte Fano, on account of the annual general meeting of the Indo Sri Lankan Benedictine Federation (ISBF) being held there. The representatives of various Benedictine congregations both in Sri Lanka and India gathered at Monte Fano to experience the filial bond that unites all the sons and daughters of St. Benedict. Monte Fano has stood the test of time as a center of Bene-dictine spirituality and a hospice for those who seek God in a cul-ture that seems to drift away from God. The year 2017 marks the 90th year since the establishment of this ‘school of the Lord’s service’ and is one of many milestones to come in the future.

“He said, ‘Master, you gave me fi ve talents. See, I have made fi ve more’” (Matthew 25,20

Transitus of St. Sylvester of osimo

This year we, the Sylves-tro-Benedictine monks, who are serving the

Church in Sri Lanka since 1845, celebrate the 750th Anniversary of entry into glory of our Saintly Founder, St. Sylvester of Osimo and the 90th anniversary of the foundation of ‘Monte Fano’, our Mother House, situated in Kandy. All these moments are historical milestones inviting us to ascent to the summit of holi-ness which is the common voca-tion of the Church. The Sylvestrine Congre-gation, a member of the Order of St. Benedict, was founded by St. Sylvester Guzzolini (1177-1267) in the Marche of Ancona, Italy. In 1231 Sylvester founded the hermitage of Monte Fano, near Fabriano, Italy, which is the spiritual centre of the Congregation. His movement was centered here and obtained canonical appro-bation from Pope Innocent IV on June 27, 1248 with the Bull ‘Re-ligiosam Vitam.’ Sylvester passed into his glory and was gathered to his people on November 26, 1267 and was canonized in 1598 by Pope Clement VIII. All of his first disciples have been raised to the honours of the altar: St. Ugo, St. John of the staff, Bl. John Baculo, Bl. Paulinus Bigazzini, Bl. Bartholi, Bl. Joseph, Bl. Simon, Bl. John the Solitary and Bl. Benvenuti. A celebration of a feast of a Founder is a moment of re-newal of and recommitment to the particular vocation, to the val-ues passed on to the Church by him (and lived by his first disci-ples). Therefore, this feast of St. Sylvester, together with the 90th anniversary of the foundation of ‘Monte Fano’, our Mother House in Kandy, are an invitation to rekindle the initial fervor with which we embraced our charism which is ‘to seek God through solitude, community and ministry’. St. Sylvester built his life on Gospel values as his biographer Andrea Jacobi says, “He delighted in the abundant fruit of the virtues and was immersed in the con-templation of the divine” (The Man of God Sylvester, by Vincent Fattorini OSB, Holy Face Monastery, NJ, 1991, p. 35) and he lived his life with “fervour” (or in the words of Pope Francis “Passion”) for one’s vocation, mission and destiny. His biographer says, “His behaviour showed no signs of laziness; on the contrary he was constant in prayer and in preaching; he was loved by people and dear to God” (The Man of God Sylvester by Vincent Fattorini OSB, Holy Face Monastery, New Jersey, 1991, p. 14). Saints rekindle in us an attraction for heaven. They make us fall in love with the heavenly city. They burst into flame in our hearts the desire to unite ourselves with the great family of the sanctified brethren (of which we already have the grace to form a part, to be a part). They show us what the Psalmist says in 73:25, “I have no one in heaven but Thee, on earth I desire nothing but thee.” If not in the lives of Saints where else can we see this enor-mous desire (thirst, passion, zeal, wanting) for God? In his fa-mous homily for the Feast of All Saints, St. Bernard says, “But I tell you, when I think of them, I feel myself inflamed by a tremendous yearning.” As sinful as we are, our humble desire should be to try to go along the way of the Saints. In this context the following beautiful chorus should echo in our hearts and beckon to us to aspire to greater heights of holiness: O when the Saints go marching in - When the Saints go marching in, O Lord, I want to be in that number – O When the Saints go marching in. As we celebrate the 750th anniversary of the heavenly birth of our Holy Founder, let us thank and praise the Lord, Our Saviour, for all the blessings He has showered upon our congre-gation, especially our Priory, recalling all the mighty work God was able to accomplish over the last 170 years through the mis-sionary labours of the Sylvestro Benedictine monks in Sri Lanka.

Very Rev. Fr. Shamindra Jayawardena OSBConventual Prior

Message of the Conventual Prior

it marked the eclipse of the Medieval Era when the Holy Mother Church herself opened up for new dimensions in con-

secrated life. It was during this age when St. Francis of Assisi and his exemplary life of poverty was admired and embraced by many. It was then; the miraculous wonders and eloquent speeches of St. Anthony of Padua became widespread. Moreover, it was then the stupendous theologies and popular devotions of St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Dominic were presented to the world. Yet there remains an untold narra-tive of another illustrious saint, which lies submerged under the great shadows of the aforementioned legends. It is none other than the Life of St. Sylvester Guzzolini who became the founder of the ‘Sylvestro Bene-dictines’ by acquiring the Holy Rule of St. Benedict (5th century) and embracing the monastic way of life, in the 13th century. In brief, his life story could be rat-ed eccentric in comparison to the lives of his contemporaries. Being born to a noble family in Osimo, Italy in 1177 AD, Sylvester was sent for higher studies to Bologna Uni-versity. His father’s desire to see his son ex-cel as a professional lawyer was interrupt-ed when Sylvester decided to discontinue the secular studies and explore the theo-logical doctrines and to become a Canon in the Cathedral of Osimo. Later on, he was deeply distressed by the sight of the decay-ing corpse of his relative and contemplated

“What he was; now I am, what he is; I will be.” At another instance when he was in a deep contemplation he experienced an ec-static vision of an old monk (St. Benedict, as told by his biographer) coming down to him and presenting him the monastic robe and the holy rule. Pondering upon these signs of time Sylvester decided to live a life of asceti-cism. However, the fame of this Holy Saint spread across villages and cities and flocks of faithful gathered round this spiritual shepherd. For this reason, they were called “Benedictine monks of Monte Fano” which was eventually granted the Papal approba-tion as a Religious Congregation by Pope In-nocent IV in 1248 AD. The roots of the spirituality of the Sylvestrines lie in the Benedictine motto “Ora et Labora et Lectio Divina.” It is also at-tuned with the monastic vows of obedience, stability and fidelity to monastic virtues to manipulate the charism of seeking God in solitude, community and apostolate.

After three centuries, with the influence of the Renaissance, the European coloniza-tion process was launched and among the greatest gifts from this process to Ceylon was Christianity. Even though the momen-tum was changed when one nation tried to uproot the seeds of Christian faith planted by their predecessor nation in the island, yet due to the untiring efforts of St. Joseph Vaz and the Indian Oratorians, the faith was remodeled in the hearts of all believers in Ceylon. Thus was the background when the Sylvestrines arrived in the island. The first Sylvestrine monk to set foot on the then Ceylon was Msgr. Joseph Maria Bravi OSB, who disembarked from the Colombo Port

on August 14, 1845. Here onwards they expanded their missionary services in the Southern Vicariate of Co-lombo covering the coastal belt from Negombo to Galle and later on to borders of Kandy and Badulla. In the hall of fame of the Catholic Church of Sri Lanka, the golden chain of Benedictine prelates hold a higher esteem. The Schol-arly viewpoint confirms that the golden era of the Ceylon Catholic Church was during the episcopate of Rt. Rev. Dr. Hilarian Sillani OSB, who succeeded Bish-op Bravi. It was during the episcopate of Bishop Clem-

ent Pangnani OSB, the General Curia gave orders to initiate the new diocese of Kandy and Bishop Pangnani was appointed as its first shepherd. His successor, Rt. Rev. Dr. Bede Beekmeyer OSB, was the first local to be raised to the of-fice of Bishop. Bishop Bernard Regno OSB or rather “the coolie bishop,” is remark-able for his service towards the poverty-stricken estate work-ers of the hill country. In the recent past, Bishop Leo Nanayak-kara OSB, who was appointed as the first Bishop of the Badulla Diocese, was also a forerunner of the process of venaculariza-

tion, which was initiated after the Second Vatican Council. Rt. Rev. Dr. Cletus Perera OSB, who is presently serving in the Dio-cese of Ratnapura, also manifests the pride of the Sylvestrine Misson in Sri Lanka. Apart from these, the Sylvestrines were also influential in producing new facets in the fields of Sacred Music and Sacred Lit-urgy in the island, for which they were well renowned from earlier times, including the adaptations from Gregorian Music and Mo-nastic Liturgy. In addition, they were the pioneers in establishing Catholic Schools in the country. The first Catholic School of the country, St. Benedict’s College, Kotahe-na and St. Anthony’s College, Katugastota may provide sufficient evidence to prove the above statement. Thus, the year 2017 is fabricated with some glorious memories of the past. Firstly, the 750th anniversary of the heav-enly birth of our father, St. Sylvester would be celebrated with joy this year (1267 AD). Secondly, the 90th anniversary of erecting our mother house at ‘Monte Fano,’ Ampiti-ya. A brief glimpse of its past would show us that the house, which formerly was the “Yatawara Walauwa,” was renovated and consecrated as “St. Sylvester’s Monastery, Monte Fano on November 25, 1927 by the then Prior Major, Very. Rev. Fr. Bonfil-ius Galassi OSB. This was done with the handing over of the Abbey of St. Anthony, which was also the first ever Benedictine Monastery built outside Europe after 700 years, to the Diocese of Kandy as its Cathe-dral. Later on some more complexes were adjoined to the main edifice. Among those are the Main Chapel (1949), which was erected in accordance with the traditional Kandyan architectural features even be-fore the Second Vatican Council promoted venacularization, The Holy Face Chapel (1977), where a photocopy of the Holy Shroud of Jesus is being preserved, The Re-treat House (1989) and St. Benedict’s Col-lege (Pvt.) which was completed in 2011. Finally, this year marks the commence-ment of a three year spiritual preparation for the forthcoming Dodransbicentennial jubilee (175th anniversary in 2020) of the Sylvestrine Mission in Sri Lanka. On this feast day of our father, St. Sylvester, let us sing praises with one ac-cord to the Almighty who has immensely blessed us the Sylvestrines to serve in His

vineyard and may He strengthen us more and more to serve for the Catholic Church of Sri Lanka.

A Voice of Silence

The Cave where the St. Sylvester lived in Fabriano

Tomb of St. Sylvester

St. Sylvester’s Monastery, Monte Fano, Kandy (1927-2017)

By Rev. Bro. Dom. Kokila Fernando OSB

By Rev. Fr. Stephen Abraham OSB


“His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25,21)

Thirty years ago, on November 10, 1987 while Rev. Fr. Michael Rodrigo, OMI was celebrating the Holy Eucharist, he was shot and killed at his small shelter in Alukalawita, Buttala.

Family and a brief Social Background Fr. Michael was born of a middle-class family. He was educated at St. Peter’s College, Colombo. After being ordained as a priest, Fr. Michael continued with his theological studies; obtaining a doctorate from the Institut Catholique de Paris (ICP). On returning to Sri Lanka he was appointed a lecturer at the National Seminary. Thereafter, he received an offer from ICP to be a Professor of Theology. He declined this offer in order to work with His Lordship Leo Nanayakkara, in the Badulla Diocese. In 1980 he set up a Christian-Buddhist dialogue centre, Suba Seth Gedera, in the village called Alukalawita in Buttala. The local Buddhist monks were initially suspicious of the tiny Christian community of which he was a part, but came to recognise that he was not a rival. Fr. Michael, the nuns and lay workers who worked alongside him, became trusted figures, undertaking educational activities and caring for their neighbours.

What happened? It was the terrible time of insurgency in 1987-89. Reportedly, after a local businessman was shot at by suspected JVP insurgents, armed men claiming to be from the police searched the small house of Buttala, Alukalawita community headed by Fr. Michael Rodrigo. They threatened him, though he pointed out that the activities of their centre were peaceful. Reluctant to abandon the villagers but concerned about safety of his companions, he asked them to decide whether the community should leave or stay, though his own preference was to remain. The community was to take a decision at this particular Holy Mass.

Recalling the memory just before the tragedy It was few days before his assassination that I went to see him at Suba Seth Gedara. I used to see him together with my wife Ramya at least once a month. We both would come all away from Passara to

experience the real life with the community at Alukalawita, Buttala. We did a lot of educational and cultural programmes in the village together with Fr. Michael and other members of the community. When I came to Suba Seth Gedera on that day, all the members of the community (except for Fr. Michael) had left the village. When I asked him why he did not

leave the village, he said that he was compelled by his conscience not to leave the helpless villagers in an hour of crisis. Fr. Michael was more overwhelmed by the suffering, which the poor villagers were forced to tolerate than by the threats made by the tragic situation prevailing at that time in the country. Many friends had asked him to leave the area at least for a shorter period of time. He did not do so because he voluntarily accepted the miserable poverty of the villagers as part of his own life. After some time he prepared some tea. We had tea and discussed many things regarding the pathetic situation of the people. He had been highly worried that the previous night some armed officers had come to the adjoining house and hammered the old mother asking for her son. He had been shocked on seeing the way they had tortured the innocent mother. It was about 12.30 in the afternoon. A small poor village boy came with a small basket of food. When the community members were away, villagers used to share food with him. He invited me to share his lunch. It was a mallum (herbs) and a curry of sprats with rice. He divided the food into three parts. One was given to me the other was for the pet animals that were hanging around him. He ate the smallest portion. He expected the community members would be back soon. After lunch I said good bye to him. It was the last time I saw him alive. A few days later I got the message that he had been assassinated. When I went there together with Fr.Joe Fernando, the body was still lying in

a pool of blood on the small altar on which he used to say Holy Mass. We carried the body for the postmortem. This is the social as well as spiritual commitment of a man who sacrificed his life in the process of reducing his own dimension to enhance the dimension of the life of the poor devoid of religious and ethnic divisions. Those who held firm to human rights for all often found themselves isolated and targeted. During this period the island was gradually being overwhelmed by violence, as an increasingly dictatorial and divisive government shut off opportunities for democratic opposition, driving many towards rebel groups which, in turn, terrorised hapless civilians. While the military killed rebel fighters and civilians, paramilitary squads detained, tortured, assassinated or “disappeared” suspected dissidents. Some Sinhala youth joined the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, which at the time sought to overthrow the government by violence. Fr. Michael was a rare exception in that he opted to exercise his priestly duties outside the limits of a parish, a school or religious institution. He realised that Christianity as conventionally practiced in Sri Lanka as well as other parts of the world. He wanted to be realistic in his mission and to abide by the second greatest commandment “Love your neighbour as yourself” (Mark 12:29-31, Luke 10: 25- 28, Matthew 22: 34-40) of Jesus. So with the approval and assistance of His Lordship Leo Nanayakkara OSB, then Bishop of Badulla Diocese, Fr. Michael established the Christian-Buddhist Dialogue Centre which he called Suba Seth Gedera, in Alukalavita, Buttala in Lower Uva. He maintained close contacts with the people in the surrounding villages, engaging in ceaseless activities as their mentor, counsellor and companion in distress. It is better to read a part of his letter written to his sister regarding his vision.

I have no any fear to die for being with the poor. I really died forty years ago when I was ordained a priest. The cross is not something you hang on the wall or wear around your neck. Jesus was hung �irst…. We must be ready to die for our people, if the hour comes and in the moment it comes. Jesus died at age of 33 because he was devoted to his people, the poor, the abandoned and the oppressed.

(Letter to his sister Hilda, September 28, 1987)

Fr. Michael used to say, if one is not taking sides with the poor then one is certainly on the side of the oppressors. Fr. Michael would never have come to death if he had been willing to compromise with injustice.

By Dr. Alex Perera

“I am a Catholic by religion, but a Buddhist by culture” Rev. Fr. Michael Rodrigo, OMI

Thirtieth Death Anniversary of Fr. Michael Rodrigo, OMI

ouR WoRLD XViii EXHiBiTioN/SALE

An Exhibition and Sale of work by the students of ‘Daya Mina’ - Embuldeniya, ‘Supem Uyana’ – Gonapinuwela and ‘Meth Mihira’ – Koralawella will be held at the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery, Guildford Crescent Colombo 7 on 21st and 22nd November from 10.00 am to 7.00 p.m. The Sisters of Charity services for those with special needs and provides space for them to enhance their latent talents while enabling them to integrate into society. All are welcome to share in this noble endeavour by visiting and patronizing this exhibition and sale, proceeds of which are exclusively in aid of those with special needs.

Trevor Ludowyke

Jesus Christ has gifted each of us with talents at birth itself. The basis of this has been the general principle in Christianity, which is love. All human beings should live with this principle of sharing the Love of Jesus with our fellowmen and sharing the talents with the needy. There is no Christianity where there is no love and humanity. “When I was sick you looked after me” is what is raised at the final judgment. Today we speak of Heart Specialist Dr. Hemal Fernando who treats heart patients free of charge showing that he is a living example displaying Jesus Christ’s love and thereby serving the oppressed people. It is a testimony that he has received the gift from Jesus Christ to serve the people by offering the people free medical services at a time specialist doctors are

Dehiyagatha. He entered St. Joseph’s College and the family thereupon shifted to Kotahena. His father and mother being devout Catholics participated in social activities of the parish by being members of the St. Vincent De Paul Society and the Legion of Mary. He passed out as a Doctor and left for England to read for his MRCP. He came back to Sri Lanka as a Specialist and served as a Cardiologist in the Matale Government Hospital for some time and again proceeded to the US. to serve as a Cardiologist in New York. Returning to Sri Lanka in 1994, he started private-practice at to Central Hospital and extended his service free of charge to any needy patient, as in keeping with his faith. He associated closely with the Pamunugama Parish, and was a Lay Apostolate worker in the parish attending to the poor

Heart Specialist Dr. Hemal Fernando

charging thousands of rupees for consultation. The evidence to display the love of Jesus Christ and his talents being used to serve the suffering people. He was born on June 15, 1937 in the village of Dehiyagatha, Ja-Ela, a predominant Catholic village. His father was Henry Walter Anthony Fernando, from a Catholic family in Modera. His mother was Mary Charlot Jayawardana from the well known Jayawardena family in Dehiyagatha, Ja-Ela. Dr. Hemal started his schooling at the Roman Catholic School, in

patients in the Jubilee Hall of the church under the guidance and direction of Rev. Fr. Jude Peiris and the Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Francis Jayakody. He treated around 10,000 patients which included priests and nuns in these free clinics In U.K. he healed a wealthy heart patient and she in return extended her support to the free medical care mission of Dr. Hemal Fernando. This philanthropist lady even extended her support to eye patients who seek treatment from this doctor. She further made it a point to visit Sri Lanka and supervise this mission and get spiritual merit from the good work done by this doctor. This Doctor has been called by the Divine to extend the knowledge he received for the betterment of mankind.

Joe Sangapalarachchi Antony isidore

Jayamanna


publishing centre in Poland. Later some anti-Nazi books were published here and he got into the blacklists of the Nazi party members. Later he also started a radio broadcasting centre from the same place.

Mission in the EastHis enthusiasm and missionary zeal led him to start two Franciscan monasteries in Nagasaki, Japan and Malabar in India between the years 1930 and 1936. He had to hand over these to other Franciscan monks and return to Poland in 1938 because of ill health. He was diagnosed with tuberculosis. He was involved in his media apostolate till the invasion of Poland by German Nazi troops. When he was given the option of signing papers to consider himself a German (his father was of German origin), he refused. During this time the monastery was converted to a hospital and he managed to give refuge to more than 2,000 Jewish people in the Franciscan monastery. The monastery continued to be a publishing house and issued several anti-Nazi publications in German. In 1941 the monastery was shut down by the German authorities and Fr. Kolbe and his companions were arrested and put in prison. In May of that year he was transferred to Auschwitz prison and his identity number was 16670. He remained a priest even in prison and said mass to the Catholic prisoners. He led prayer groups in the prison and especially prayed to Our Lady for her assistance and intercession to end the world war and Nazi atrocities. According to a surviving eye-witness, who served as a janitor of the prison at that time, Fr. Maximilian Kolbe always prayed and encouraged his 9 other companions who were sentenced to starvation until death. All the other nine died before him. Their bodies were dragged by the guards one by one to be cremated. Kolbe was still alive. The prison authorities wanted the bunker emptied and they decided to give Fr. Kolbe a lethal injection. He died at the age of 47after carbolic acid was injected to his left arm. His body was cremated on 15th August 1941, the feast of the Assumption of Our Lady.

Canonization After the World War II when the Auschwitz camp was liberated rumors about the heroism and religious devotion of Fr. Maximilian Kolbe came to light. His legend spread throughout Poland and the Catholic world. His cause for beatification and canonization was proposed in 1955 and Pope Paul VI beatified him as a confessor of faith. His fellow countryman Pope John Paul II canonized him on 10th October 1982. He declared him not only a confessor but also a martyr. St. Maximilian Kolbe has been declared by the church as the patron of drug addicts, prisoners, families and the pro-life movement. His feast day falls on the 14th of August, the day of his death by lethal injection. Many monuments and churches have been erected in his honor, especially in Poland. The Polish Senate declared the year 2011 as the year of Maximilian Kolbe. He adhered literally to the teaching and the example of Christ our Savior. “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15: 13).

Do things you enjoy doing..

Are you happy with your work? Some are not. It is not easy to do what makes us happy all the time. Sometimes we have to do things we do not really enjoy doing and life seems unpleasant and uphill. But however, we must realise that life is too short to be complaining and grudging and it does not pay to be sad and morose all the time. Time flies and all of a sudden we find that we have come a long way just complaining and doing things that do not make us happy. So, if we want to be happy, somehow we have to find a way to do things we enjoy doing. When we look back we find that most of our time has been spent in trying to please others and make them happy. And most of the time at the cost of making ourselves unhappy! Also often we find that people do not appreciate what we do. This makes us feel all the more disheartened and upset. It is not a bad thing to make others happy. But it is not necessary to suffer and sacrifice all what we have for that. We can bring happiness to many while doing the things we enjoy doing. When we comprehend this fact, we can stop tormenting ourselves. When we do what we are happy doing, we don’t need others’ approval or recognition. Not everyone has the heart we have. Not everyone will appreciate what we do for them. Sometimes it is not easy to work with a kind heart in a cruel world. We get hurt, rejected, blamed for no fault of ours. People whom we have trusted may betray us, forget us and even create problems for us. But we have to be prepared. We have to take all those as lessons life teaches us. Only then we will be able to continue our journey of life happily. Sometimes we face difficulties not because we are doing something wrong but because we are doing things right. Some people can’t understand that and some can’t take that .But we can’t afford to block our happiness because of their lack of understanding and perhaps their stupidity. We have to keep moving forward. Many of us have plans and dreams and hopes. But sometimes we don’t succeed with them because we let others block our way. We have to remember that we can’t please all the people all the time. We have to decide whether we are going to sacrifice our dreams to make others happy or we have to proceed with our dreams despite the jealousy and spiteful treatment of others. One day you will wake up and realise that there won’t be time to do all what you always wanted..xSo, why wait? Do what makes you happy now. Beautiful things don’t just happen. You must make them happen. If you don’t design your own happiness someone else will use you for theirs. So, start doing things you are happy doing...from this day!

Michael Angelo Fernando

BiTS &PiECES

By Ariel

Maximilian Kolbe

“Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy’” (Matthew 25,21)

Before He surrendered Himself to death, during a long

discourse to His disciples Jesus gave His final commandment. “This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15: 12-13). Jesus not only preached these words, but proved His conviction by laying His life down for the salvation of mankind, His friends. All His apostles, except John, became martyrs for the cause of saving their friends. Many of the followers of Jesus literally laid down their lives to preach the doctrine of salvation. Undoubtedly St. Maximilian Kolbe was one of them. When the opportunity came, in the death camp of Auschwitz, this Franciscan monk, who was ordained a priest, volunteered to take the place of another inmate, Franciszek Gajowniczek, a husband and a father. He was condemned to death by starvation and dehydration. In July 1941, three prisoners had managed to escape from the Auschwitz prison camp. This prompted the prison authorities to teach the other prisoners a lesson. Karl Fritzsch, the deputy head of the camp, picked 10 men to be starved to death in an underground bunker. It was at this time that Franciszek Gajowniczek, one of the men who was selected, cried out, “My wife and my children!” which made Fr. Kolbe to volunteer to die on his behalf.

Early Life Born in 1894 in Poland, Maximilian Kolbe was the second son of Julius Kolbe, who was a weaver and Maria Debrowska, a midwife. In 1914 he took his final vows as a Franciscan Friar and added the name Mary to his religious name because of his devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He excelled in his studies and the superiors decided to send him to the Gregorian University of Rome for further studies. There he obtained a doctorate in philosophy and theology. During this time he witnessed the demonstrations against the Pope and the Church by the anti-Catholic elements in Italy. The demonstrators placed banners under the windows of the Vatican where triumphant Lucifer crushes the head of the Archangel Michael. At the same time a countless number of pamphlets were distributed in Rome attacking the Holy Father and the Catholic Church. As a counter attack to these anti-Catholic elements, Maximilian Kolbe started a movement called the ‘Army of the Immaculate One’ (Mary) to work for the conversion of sinners and the enemies of the Catholic Church, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He was ordained a priest in 1918 and returned to his motherland Poland in 1919. He was instrumental in promoting the devotion of the Immaculate Virgin Mary in Poland, while he was teaching in the seminary in Krakow. In January 1922 he started a monthly journal, ‘Knight of the Immaculate’ in Polish. His media activities expanded in Poland and in 1927 he founded a new Franciscan monastery in Niopokalaow, a town close to Warsaw. This monastery became a major religious

“Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”

The Saint from Auschwitz

Auschwitz Concentration Camp


By Victor Silva

“(Then) the one who had received two talents … said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more’” (Matthew 25,22)

Death of Francisco and Jacinta(Contd from last week)

PART6

• The death of Francisco Towards the end of October 1918, the entire Marto family (other than Francisco’s father) fell ill with the Spanish Flu. Francisco was in a very serious condition and could not move out of bed. At this time Our Lady had appeared to Francisco and Jacinta telling them that she would come to take Francisco to heaven very soon and that Jacinta would follow him not long after. After some time, Francisco improved enough to allow him to take short walks to the Cova da Iria where he would kneel near the stump of the holm-oak sapling and gaze at the blue sky dwelling with joy that Our Lady would soon come to take him to heaven. He suffered a lot. But, his ever-ready smile and continual cheerfulness mislead everyone as to his true condition. Once when Lucia whispered to him quietly:. “Francisco, are you suffering a great deal?”, he replied: “Yes, I am. I offer it all for the love of Our Lord Jesus and Our Lady. I want to suffer more, but I can’t”. According to Lucia, Francisco’s only desire was to console Our Lord and Our Lady who seemed to him so sorrowful. Fulfilling the request of Our Lady, he recited several Rosaries everyday. However, in his last days he was not able to recite his prayers, ‘and his mother told him: “If you can’t pray with your lips, do it with your heart. It will make Our Lord and Our Lady happy just the same.” As his fever rose and his appetite failed he realized that the end was near and told his father that he would like to receive Holy Communion. On April 2, 1919, he made his first Confession. On the following day he receivedithe Body of Christ which was his First and the Last Holy Communion. Lucia caine to attend Francisco’s First Holy Communion. Jacinta, who was also sick, was allowed to be with her brother. Francisco told them that he could not pray anymore and wanted them to pray for him, He died on Friday, April 4,1919 around 10 a.m. His mother said: “He gave a smile and remained like that. Then he breathed no more.” His, father said that he died smiling. Francisco’s mortal remains were buried in the Fatima cemetery on the following day. Lucia attended the funeral, but Jacinta was so sick that she had to stay at home in bed. A simple wooden cross was placed over his grave. As long as Lucia remained in the village, never a day went by without her going to visit the grave of her beloved cousin.

• The death of Jacinta Jacinta caught the Spanish Flu about a month before Francisco. In the early stages, she was sometimes able to get up and walk about, but mostly was confined to bed. With the bronchial pneumonia, a purulent abscess formed in the ribs which caused acute pain and emitted an unpleasant odour. She tried hard to console her family saying that she is not in pain and offered the acute pain for the conversion of sinners. She used to often say to Lucia: “We must make many, many sacrifices and pray a lot for sinners so that no one shall ever again go to that prison of fire where people suffer so much.” She did not let one moment of suffering go waste. Every moment of suffering was joyfully offered for the salvation of sinners. In spite of the acute pain she continued to pray for the conversion of sinners. Early in June 1919 she was taken to St. Augustine’s Hospital in the town of Ourem. Lucia who visited her in hospital says: “I found her as happy as always to suffer for the love of God and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, for the conversion of sinners and for the Holy Father. That was her ideal. That was all she spoke about.” As there was no improvement at all, the doctors discharged her in August 1919. By now she was all bones. In addition to pneumonia and pleurisy, she was suffering from tuberculosis. Meanwhile, Our Lady did not leave her little patient alone. She visited Jacinta to say that she wanted her to go to another hospital in Lisbon where she will suffer a great deal and die alone. Our Lady also told her not to be afraid since she will be with her and take her to heaven. Around the middle of January 1920, Jacinta was taken to Lisbon. On the day before leaving Fatima, Jacinta begged of her mother to take her to the Cova da Iria. The following day she said good bye to her beloved Lucia. This was the bitterest cross of all for these two

H u n d r e d Y e a r s A f t e r F a t i m a

children. She kept her arms around Lucia for a long time and told her while crying: “Never again shall we see each other. Pray very much for me for I am going to heaven. There I will pray a lot for you. Don’t ever tell anyone the secrets even if they kill you. Love Jesus a great deal and also the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Make many sacrifices for sinners.” Jacinta along with her mother and her brother Antonio travelled by train to Lisbon and when they reached Lisbon they could not find a place to stay. Ultimately they went to the Orphanage of Our Lady of Miracles, where the Mother Superior, Rev. Mother Maria de Purificacao Godinho welcomed them with open arms. Jacinta was in the orphanage only for a couple of weeks from the middle of January. Her mother stayed with her for about a week while arrangements were being made for her admission to Dona Estefania Hospital. The Mother Superior was a real mother to Jacinta. Every morning she had the joy of receiving Holy Communion - the Mother Superior would carry her to the altar rail. The suffering Jacinta spent every possible moment in the chapel gazing at the tabernacle. (Today, this orphanage building is a Poor Clare Convent, and Jacinta’s bed and the room she used are preserved). Mother Godinho confirmed that during her stay there, Jacinta was visited by Our Lady more than once and that after each visit, she spoke with wisdom far beyond her age and education or experience. In fact, Mother Godinho who marveled at Jacinta’s wisdom and insight, once asked her: “Who taught you so much?” to which she replied: “Our Lady taught me, but some things I think out myself.’ Once, when Mother Godinho had said that she would love to visit the Cova da Iria - which was far away from Lisbon, Jacinta had told her: “Don’t worry, good Mother. You will go there after my death”. (Mother Godinho was astute enough to take notes of some of Jacinta’s sayings). On February 2, 1920, the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple and the Purification of Our Lady, Jacinta was moved from the orphanage to Dona Estefania Hospital. She was operated on February 10, 1920 for the removal of the 7th and 8th ribs on her left side. The operation was performed by Dr. Leonardo de Sousa Castro Freire - Pediatric Surgeon and Professor Extraordinary at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon. During the Process for the Beatification of Jacinta, Dr. Freire gave testimony to the Bishop of Leiria and stated: “Jacinta arrived at the hospital in a very serious condition ......... As a consequence of pneumonia, purulent pleurisy had developed. Also I found that two of her ribs had decayed....... The operation meant making an insertion large enough to drain off the pus and dry off the two ribs She was a child with much courage. Because she was too weak to take gas, she was not under a general anesthetic and therefore, she was not immunized from the pain involved in the opening of the fistula, etc. The only words I heard from her during the operation were ‘Oh Jesus! Oh My God’!” Dr. Freire also affirmed that considering all that she suffered and the way she suffered it, her patience was heroic and stated that prior to the operation he did not know that she was one of the visionaries of Fatima. Two of her ribs were removed and the wound on her chest was the size of a fist. It had to be dressed often and it was most painful. Jacinta allowed only one moan to escape from her lips: “Oh, Our Lady! Oh, Our Lady! Patience. We must suffer to go to heaven.” Though she suffered very much she never complained. She accepted it with joy because she realised it would help many souls to escape the fire of hell. Mother

Godinho who visited Jacinta everyday confirmed that Our Lady kept to her promise of not abandoning Jacinta by appearing to her on a number of occasions in the hospital. Four days before her death, Jacinta said: “I am not complaining anymore. Our Lady appeared again and said that she was coming for me very soon. She took away all my pain.” In fact, Our Lady had told her the day and the hour of her death, and Jacinta had got someone to write to Lucia giving this information. On February 20, 1920, around 6 p.m. Jacinta felt very ill and asked for the Sacraments. At 8.00 p.m .. she made her Confession and she begged that Holy Communion be brought to her immediately insisting that she was going to die soon. However, the Priest saw no reason for alarm and decided to bring Holy Communion on the following morning. At 10.30 p.m., Jacinta died peacefully, alone (as foretold by Our Lady) and without having her wish of receiving Holy Communion fulfilled. Jacinta’s body was dressed (as per her request) in a white First Holy Communion dress with a blue sash - the colours of Our Lady. The funeral undertaker testified that he never before nor after had a case like Jacinta’s body and said: ‘’’It seems to me that I can still today see the little angel laid in the casket. She seemed to be still alive in her full beauty, with rosy cheeks and lips.... The pleasant aroma that exhaled from her body cannot be explained. The worst unbeliever could not question it. Though the child had been dead for three days the aroma was like that from a bouquet of flowers.” On February 24, 1920, the casket was sealed and transferred from Lisbon to the family vault of a generous-hearted man from Ourem. Jacinta’s father was at the railway station to receive the body. Mother Godinho who accompanied the body was thus able to visit the Cova da Iria, in keeping with Jacinta’s promise.

• The bodies of Francisco and Jacinta Fifteen years after her death, on September 12, 1935, as instructed by the Bishop of Leiria, Jacinta’s remains were transferred to the cemetery of Fatima and interred in the same tomb that held the remains of Francisco. When Jacinta’s casket was opened on this occasion, her face was found to be perfectly preserved. Francisco’s body had decomposed. On their tomb these simple words were inscribed: “HERE LIE THE MORTAL REMAINS OF FRANCISCO AND JACINTA TO WHOM OUR LADY APPEARED” On May 1, 1951 Jacinta’s remains were transferred to the Basilica of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary and buried in the left transept as one faces the altar. The remains of Francisco were transferred to the Basilica and buried in the right transept on March 13, 1952. The parents of these two siblings were blessed to be present when their remains were buried in the Basilica.

• Beati�ication and Canonization of Francisco and Jacinta One cannot fathom how two children (barely 10 and 11-years-old) could have suffered so much acute and- unbearable pain so calmly and joyfully and at the same time offer many sacrifices and prayers to save sinners from eternal damnation. It was humanly impossible, but we know that with God’s grace nothing is impossible. Perhaps, Our Lady too may have suffered with her two “little warriors.” Their immense love for Jesus and Our Lady as well as their total commitment to save sinners are inconceivable. These two siblings, master-works of Divine Grace and two of the purest and most beautiful of souls who travelled through the world of sin, were beatified by Pope John Paul II on May 13, 2000 and canonized by Pope Francis on May 13 2017 - exactly hundred years after the first Apparition of Our Lady. St. Jacinta and St. Francisco became the youngest saints to be canonized by the Church and only the third instance of a brother and sister of the same family being raised to the Altar after St. Basil the Great, his brother St. Gregory of Nyssa and their elder sister St. Macrina (4th century), and St. Benedict of Nursia - the father of Western Monasticism who founded the Benedictine Order and his twin sister St. Scholastica (5th / 6th century). (To be continued)


Neyali AbeyratneSunday School, St. Sebastian’s,

Kandana.

The Parable of the TalentsBut the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. Matthew 25:18Choose the word that best matches the definition. Answers can be found in Matthew 25:14-30 (NIV)

1. Put something in a place where it cannot be foundA. lazy B. afraid C. hide D. good

2. A feeling of pleasure, satisfaction, or joyA. good B. happiness C. lazy D. afraid

3. The coins and bills that are used to buy thingsA. share B. happiness C. money D. talents

4. To divide or use something with othersA. happiness B. share C. hide D. afraid

5. Not willing to workA. servant B. money C. share D. lazy

6. A trip, especially one over a great distanceA. share B. journey C. happiness D. afraid

7. A person who is employed to do work for another personA. lazy B. happiness C. afraid D. servant

8. To be trusted or loyalA. share B. faithful C. lazy D. happiness

9. To be filled with fearA. happiness B. servant C. afraid D. lazy

10. The opposite of badA. good B. afraid C. lazy D. happiness

Copyright © Sermons4Kids, Inc. • All Rights Reserved • www.sermons4kids.com

Multiple Word Puzzle

Girls, come and help us! Boys, come and help us!

“PUT YOUR TALENTS TO GOOD USE”My Dear Young Builders, The First Reading of today invite us to “goodness and reward” especially the virtues of a good mother in the family. St. Paul in the Second Reading asks us to always stay alert, so that Jesus will find us ready when He comes, surely it will please Jesus very much if He finds us so. In the Gospel Jesus teaches us about how important it is to use the gifts God has given us, using the Parable of a man who goes on a journey. Before he leaves, this man / master entrusts to three of his servants a different number of talents each. A talent is a coin of much value. Do you know how many coins each of them got? (Read Matthew 25:14-30). When the man came back he inquired as to what they did with the talents he had given them. One said, see, you gave me five and I have made five more. The second one said, you gave me two and see I have made two more: The third one however could not show anything he had done to improve on the talent he was given. How sad! He is punished, the talent he had was taken and given to the one who made five. Dear children, we too have been given many talents / gifts to be used to promote God’s Kingdom. Let us not fail to use these gifts in the service of Jesus. For ‘Blessed are those who walk in God’s ways,” (Todays Responsorial Psalm) Aunty Gerro

“His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant’” (Matthew 25,23)

When she was a child, her par-ents, St. Joachim

and St. Anne, took Mary to the Temple in Jerusalem. There she would be educated in the service and the Law of God so that she would be protected against the sins of the world. Mary’s whole life was to belong to God as He had chosen her to be the Mother of His Son, Jesus. St. Joachim and St. Anne were pleased to offer their saintly little girl to God. They knew that God had

sent her to them. The high priest blessed the holy child. He realized that the Lord had great plans for her.

Cecilia was a Roman noblewoman who had given her heart

to Christ. Under the rich clothes worn by women of high class, Cecilia wore a rough shirt that caused her suffering. She wanted to be able to offer this sacrifice to Jesus, whose bride she in-tended to be. But Cecilia’s par-ents gave her in marriage to a young pagan noble, Valerian of Trastevere. During the wedding cel-ebration, she gathered up courage and said to him: “I have a secret to tell you. You must know that I have

Mary was happy to begin serving God in the Temple. She did not weep or turn back to her parents but came so happily to the altar that everyone in the Temple loved her at once. St. Joachim and St. Anne went back home. They praised God for their blessed daughter.

And Mary remained in the Temple, where she grew in holiness. She spent her

days reading the Bible and praying. She made beauti-ful linens and wonderful vestments (robes that the priests wear). Mary tried to do each of her duties well, to please God. She grew in grace and gave great glory to the Lord. Note to Parents: “Parents, God does not simply want you to offer your children to Him in the temple, but requires you to take care to keep them pure and holy, as living temples which have been consecrat-ed in Baptism.”

Valerian’s brother, Tiburtius, learned of the Christian faith from Ceci-lia, and before long, he too was baptized. When they were arrested for being Chris-tians, they went bravely to death rather than giving up their new faith in Jesus. Ce-cilia lovingly buried their bodies, before she too was arrested and beheaded. When her tomb was opened about one thousand five hundred years later in Rome, her body was still found per-fect and incorrupt.

Holy Spirit Interactive

me this angel. If he comes from God, I will do as you wish.” Cecilia said, “If you believe in the one true God and receive the waters of Baptism, then you will see my angel.” Valerian went to Bishop Urban and after he had professed his belief in the Christian reli-gion, he was baptized, and there, by Cecilia’s side the young man saw the Angel. The angel placed a crown on each of their heads, and offered Valer-ian a favour Valerian asked that his brother also be baptized.

PRESENTATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY - Feast Day November 21

ST. CECILIA - Feast Day November 22

an angel of God watching over me. If you let me keep my promise to be Christ’s bride only, my angel will love you too.” Valerian was sur-prised and said, “Show

The Sunday Liturgy33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Don’t Bury Your Talents”

Kids Bulletin

Colour the coins withfaces gold.

Colour the coins withletters silver.

Colour the coin withdots bronze.

Catechism

The Fifth Commandment“You shall not kill” (ccc 2258-2317)

190. What does the �ifth Commandment forbid? The fifth Commandment forbids all wilful murder,

fighting, quarrelling and injurious words, also scandal and bad example (Matthew 5:21-26)

191. Does the �ifth Commandment forbid anger? The fifth Commandment forbids anger and also

hatred and revenge.

192. Why are scandal and bad example forbidden by the �ifth Commandment?

Scandal and bad example are forbidden by the fifth Commandment, because they lead to the injury and spiritual death of our neighbour’s soul.

Child’s Letterto God

Dear God,Do you always get the right souls in the right place?. You could make a mistake.

Cindy

The Parable of the TalentsBut the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. Matthew 25:18Choose the word that best matches the definition. Answers can be found in Matthew 25:14-30 (NIV)

1. Put something in a place where it cannot be foundA. lazy B. afraid C. hide D. good

2. A feeling of pleasure, satisfaction, or joyA. good B. happiness C. lazy D. afraid

3. The coins and bills that are used to buy thingsA. share B. happiness C. money D. talents

4. To divide or use something with othersA. happiness B. share C. hide D. afraid

5. Not willing to workA. servant B. money C. share D. lazy

6. A trip, especially one over a great distanceA. share B. journey C. happiness D. afraid

7. A person who is employed to do work for another personA. lazy B. happiness C. afraid D. servant

8. To be trusted or loyalA. share B. faithful C. lazy D. happiness

9. To be filled with fearA. happiness B. servant C. afraid D. lazy

10. The opposite of badA. good B. afraid C. lazy D. happiness

Copyright © Sermons4Kids, Inc. • All Rights Reserved • www.sermons4kids.com

The Parable of the Talents

14 November 19, 2017The Messenger

First Reading: Prov. 31: 10-13, 19-20, 30-31 Wisdom is described in the form of an ideal wife. An ideal wife is one any husband would love to have and those who have such a wife would get closer and closer to her out of true love.

Second Reading.: 1Thes. 5: 1-6 The Second coming of Christ would be sudden and unexpected. Therefore St. Paul wants the Thessalo-nians to get on with their normal day to day life keeping to the light of faith.

Gospel: Mt. 25: 14-30 Through the Parable of the Talents it is stated that we would be judged by God according to the use we make of the gifts.

Re�lection Today’s Gospel looks forward to Jesus’ Second Coming as Judge and Lord. So too does the Second Read-ing. St. Paul tells his converts at Thessalonica that the date of Christ’s Second coming is not only not known, but in all probability not imminent. Some of the Thes-salonians had actually given up their jobs to await the world’s end. St. Paul who had to tell them to get on with their lives here below urges the Thessalonians to stay wide awake and keep spreading the light of faith against the day when this world will end. The key truth sounded in both Readings is that we live now with an eye towards our final goal; the pos-session of God in heaven. Remember how simply the basic Catechism puts this: We are created to know, love and serve God in this world, and to be happy with him forever in the next. Today’s First Reading says the same, although it is directed primarily to women, and expressed in a wom-

an’s idiom. It is in the celebration “Valiant Wife” passage from Proverbs that we are reminded that physical beauty and charm pass away, what endures forever is spiritual attractiveness. For men, this passage could meaning-fully be translated into physical strength and vigourous youth. Both fade away as age progress and what remains forever is strength and vigour of soul. Reference to a woman’s physical beauty, or to a man’s strength or vigour, also prompts some reflection on physical inequalities. Some people seem to be gifted less than others, physical as well as psychological and in-tellectual attributes. What matters, again, is a person’s spirit. What will remain is a person’s beauty and strength of soul. And beauty and strength of soul necessarily reflect one’s priorities in this brief pilgrimage to our only real and ev-erlasting homeland; Heaven. How do we achieve beauty and strength of soul so that we will be recognised by Jesus our Judge and Lord at this Second coming? Today’s Gospel reminds us that living here below means making the most of the talents God has given us for his greater honour and glory. Even by just trying to do this, we are assured of being rewarded a hundredfold. This means, of course, that we should not live our lives constantly demanding things from God. On the contrary, we should try to use all that we have of God’s worldly gifts to increase our investments in heaven’s riches, the only treasure, Jesus has reminded us that will never diminish in value. Essential to this way of life is that we always keep before our mind and heart the Gospel vision of the Lord Jesus, seated as judge before us at the last day and asking of us what we did with the talents he gives us. If we live, however, as if this world was its own goal; if we live merely to acquire all the pleasures this

world offers, if we live merely, as the saying goes, to eat, drink and be merry since to-morrow we shall die; then we will have squandered all our talents and must appear before Christ our Judge and Lord without anything to show for hav-ing lived.

Aid Story 1. A labourer had read a book writ-ten by a priest in a religious order. One day when he met the priest, the labourer remarked, “Father, one of these days God will greatly reward your writings.” “Brother,” replied the priest with humility, “On judgment day my books and the broom you are holding will be worth the same; and if your intention when sweeping was better than mine when I wrote, you will surely have a better place in heaven.”

Aid Story 2. No one can escape the coming of the thief. A burglar broke into a New York firm that manufactured burglar-proof glass by smashing a glass door panel. “It never occurred to us,” said the firm’s president. “To put our own burglar-proof glass in our own door.”

Rev. Fr. Ciswan De Croos

Thirty Third Sunday in ordinary Time

By Rev. Fr. Don Anton Saman Hettiarachchi

“Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy’” (Matthew 25,23)

SUNDAY WORD

Sun: 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time Prov. 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31; 1 Thes. 5: 1-6; Mt. 25: 14-30 or (14-15, 19-21)Mon: 1 Mac. 1:10-15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-64; Lk.18: 35-43Tue: Memorial of Presentation of the Bl. Virgin Mary Zec. 2:14-17; Mt. 12: 46-50Wed: Memorial of St.Cecilia, Virgin & Martyr 2 Mac. 7:1, 20-31; Lk. 19:11-28Thu: Memorials of St. Clement I, Pope & Martyr & St.Columban, Abbot 1 Mac. 2: 15-29; Lk. 19: 41-44Fri: Memorial of SS. Andrew Dung-Lac, Priest and Companions, Martyrs 1 Mac. 4: 36-37, 52-59; Lk. 19: 45-48Sat: Memorial of St. Catharine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr 1 Mac. 6: 1-13; Lk. 20: 27-40Sun: 34th Sunday of Ordinary Time Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe Ez. 34: 11-12,15-17; 1 Cor. 15: 20-26, 28; Mt. 25: 31-46

Liturgical Calendar Year A 19th Nov. - 26th Nov. 2017

1. The Eschatological Discourse of Matthew 25 is in three parables: The Parable of the Ten Virgins (vv. 1-13), The Parable of the Talents (vv. 14-30) and The Parable of the Judgement of the Nations (vv. 31-46). The Parable of the Talents, derived from Q (as found also in Luke 19,12-27), offers a life style for the in-terim before the Son of Man returns (“settled accounts with them”), urging us to a responsible use of the Mas-ter’s goods, gifts or talents in view of the Judgement to come.

2. “It will be as when a man who was going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.” The Kingdom of heaven is like the situation here described. Faithful use of one’s gifts will lead to participa-tion in the fullness of the Kingdom, whereas lazy inactiv-ity to exclusion from it.

3. “To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one – to each according to his ability. Then he went away.” Talent = a unit of coinage of high but varying value de-pending on its metal (gold, silver, copper) and its place of origin. Here the fiscal term, ‘talent’, is combined with ‘ability.’ Hence in modern languages, the word, ‘talent’, is used for gift, aptitude, flair. Matthew recognizes human diversity of abilities and rewards. Cf. 13,23 (Parable of the Sower): “But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hun-dred or sixty or thirtyfold.”

4. “But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master's money.” In the un-settled conditions of Palestine in Jesus’ time, it was usual to guard valuables by burying them in the ground. Cf. 13,44: “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field …”

5. “Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you

“Since you were faithful in small matters, i will give you great responsibilities” (Matthew 25,14-30)

were faithful in small matters, I will give you great re-sponsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.” The first two servants have received and doubled large sums. They have done the trading so faithfully. So they are called “faithful” = trustworthy, risk-taking, believing. The master regards it as fidelity in small matters only, com-pared with the “great responsibilities” now to be given to them. What are these great responsibilities? They are not specified. “master’s joy” = the joy of the banquet of the Kingdom, as in 8,11: “I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the kingdom of heav-en.”

6. “You wicked, lazy servant!” The third servant’s inactiv-ity is seriously culpable. As punishment, he loses the gift he had received; he is finally condemned, “And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”

7. “For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” The talent of the third servant is now given to the first servant whose possessions are already great. What does this maxim mean? God gives further wisdom and understanding to one who accepts the re-vealed mystery. From the one who does not, He will take it away. In other words, ‘If you open yourself in faith and hope to God’s revelation of His plan of salvation, you can make rapid progress in understand-ing it. If you close yourself to it, you can lose the offer.’ This is how God works – cf. the theological/ divine passive, “more will be given … will be taken away.”

8. Booker T. Washington was a black American slave. At the age of 16, he walked almost 500 miles from his

slave home to Hampton Institute in Virginia. When he got there, he was told that classes were filled. Undaunted, he took a job at the school doing menial jobs; sweeping floors and making beds. He did these so well that the fac-ulty found room for him as a student. He worked his way up at the school, became a famed teacher and eventually founded Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. This makes me ask, ‘What were some small jobs I did well, before I was given larger jobs?’ This also re-minds me what John Wooden, a basketball coach, once said, “Do not let what you can’t do; interfere with what you can do.”

15 November 19, 2017The Messenger

“Then the one who had received the one talent … said, ‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person” (Matthew 25,24)

that affected the secular spheres of the people. Churches were convinced that these values are also linked to the Gospel and formed a tier of the Kingdom of God. God of the Christian faith is also a God of Justice. All men and women created to the image and likeness of God had to be treated as such and this issue had to be fought with conviction and serious commitment. And so, the social apostolate began entering the work of the Churches. Various inter-religious groups in dialogue strived to open up paths of trust and collaboration with the com-mon good of the country in mind. The dialectical tension in mission is to hold this truth over against the other socio-cultural, religious and even political and historical factors which taken into extremes can create tensions and conflict, such as the hegemony of the majority over against that of the minorities and vice-versa. Sri Lanka under three historical colonial pow-ers, the Portuguese, the Dutch and the English have ex-perienced Christianity in three different forms: Catholi-cism, Calvinism and Anglicanism. These persist to this day. But today, there is a clear tendency in all churches that emerge from these Christian traditions to unite and work together within a larger spirit of ecumenism in activities of dialogue with other faith traditions and cultures of this land. It is a painful thought to have to re-alize that 500 years of evangelization of Sri Lanka has left a motherland battling with language, race, religious, social, civil differences and political instabillity. The ris-ing tide of national tensions particularly in the immedi-ate post-independence era, could not be stemmed with all the religiosity and cultural traits that Sri Lanka had fostered for decades. The ultimate failure of these ef-forts was the evolution of racial hatred and bigotry that escalated into a terrible 30-year war that smashed this nation mercilessly. The positions of the churches in different parts of the country too seemed to be polarized. This is the ul-timate blow to our mission. Even at this critical moment of missionary failure, can we still find ways and means to becoming a sacrament, sign and servant of unity of our people? Can we be transformed and transfigured into a sacrament of salvation, liberation and freedom which can touch the soul and the soil of our motherland? Or, do we even as Churches stand in the way as obstacles to the unity of the country? Do we tend to misunderstand the whole issue of human liberation, human rights and social justice thus loosing the ultimate focus? Amidst cultural and racial tension, it is the Church that draws members from all these various classes, that must co-alesce a force for unity amidst diversity. Through our Christian mission we thus become agents of reconcilia-tion and harmony for the people.

Conclusion While the political efforts still continue in search of a constitutional formula for the unity of the country, one which helps to evolve a common Sri-Lank-an-ness among the various language and racial groups, religious leadership can step in to be a catalyst in the inter-religious and spiritual front. This land, which is an oasis of the world’s most living religions and faiths has such golden opportunities to make use of their funda-mental religious teachings that border on the respect for human dignity, eschewing of violence and hate, fos-tering brotherhood and solidarity with justice for all, to take the country, our common home to an era of peace and prosperity. Churches must be convinced of their mission in and to the world. An incarnated Church will necessar-ily be drawn into social involvements especially when fundamental human rights and freedoms are at stake. Churches must do all they can to bring about the radical transformation the country needs for the day of harmo-ny to dawn. In the light of the present historical factors, it would seem that embarking on national reconciliation looks to be the biggest and the most crucial missionary priority for the local Church in Sri Lanka. This seems to be the historical missionary task assigned to us by Divine Providence at this moment. All our worship, prayer, spirituality and devotions have to be channeled along this path. This opportunity is not to be missed. It is truly a moment and hour of grace for all of us.

Contd. from Pg. 3 National Reconciliation..

empowerment for the poor in Lower Uva. He placed the reference point of Vatican II as the point of departure for Fr. Michael’s courageous ‘journey for justice’. Journey for Justice is also the title of Fr. Michael’s biography compiled by anthropologist Nandini Gunewardena. Speaking of the “Phenomenon called Michael Rodrigo,” Fr. Aloysius stressed on Fr. Michael’s concern for social justice and that he died for it. He said that his real personal contact with Fr. Michael as a friend, brother and an academic colleague took place thanks to His Lord-ship Leo Nanayakkara, “who happened to be the link between us. Furthermore I met him with his dialectical counterpart, Rev. Fr. Bob Luckart,” he said. “Fr. Michael had a flare for coming down to the level of the hoi polloi when he gave a sermon or deliv-ered a lecture. His English was mellifluous and could eas-ily burst into poetry. He was a person who responded to the signs of the times and began to realise as a National Seminary Professor that he had to come down from his English-speaking middle class platform and become as fluent as possible in the vernacular. “He had an obsession for economic and social justice and had made a theological synthesis between worship which he once taught in the seminary and social justice which his sojourn in Badulla awakened in him,” Fr. Aloysius explained. In a long drawn out lectio brevis, which as he said in Latin means brief discourse, Fr. Aloysius said that Fr. Michael answered his Master’s call when he decided to satisfy his thirst to be poor and be with the poor, when he founded Subha-set-gedara, “Fr. Michael is sending us to the poor to be with the poor, to be Galilean among the Galileans, peasant among the peasants. His witness unto death is ever echo-ing in our hearts; his blood cries to heaven not for ven-geance but for more and more men and women who can give hope to the poor helpless peasants of Wellassa and everywhere and today particularly in North, but not as prophets of doom but as heralds of hope, with their faces illuminated by eschatological humour and beaming with the victory of resurrection,” Fr. Aloysius said. Nandini Gunewardena, advocated the idea that Fr. Michael was an ardent justice activist bent on witness-ing Christ to the poor. In her comments, Dr. Gunewar-dena explained what prompted her to undertake, the task of compiling Fr. Michael’s biography. She had met Fr. Michael in 1987, in Buttala, while she was conduct-ing ethnographic research for her doctoral degree. She

commented on the difficult environmental and political terrain of Buttala at that time and how Fr. Michael had chosen to live in the inhospitable climate of the Buttala area, where the roads were in a state of disrepair and transportation was erratic. Fr. Michael used to refer to that as “unbussable roads and unroadable busses.” She noted how he had opted to live among the poor in service of the poor because of his surrender to Je-sus Christ’s call to usher justice where injustice prevails. In closing, she spoke about his immense store of compas-sion and the lessons to be learned from Fr. Michael’s lega-cy. “Life is a journey that takes each of us through various routes. Ultimately Christ is our destination. Fr. Michael is the compass that directs us to the Cosmic Christ. May his legacy of compassion be sealed through a recognition of his sainthood,” were her closing remarks. This commemoration event also included re-flections by Sr. Milburga Fernando and Prof. Anton Mee-mana, two hymns loved by Fr. Michael and the presenta-tion of this biography to key Oblate Priests followed by a reception. Each year, Fr. Michael’s death anniversary is also memorialised at Suba Seth Gedera, the residence he had established in Buttala. This year it was organised by Fr. Roshan Fernando, OMI starting with a beautiful open air Holy Mass at the site of Fr. Michael’s grave, followed by an inspiring and spirited forum (colloquium) and a hearty meal of village food. Members of the village community were invited to speak about their memories of Fr. Michael and they did so with touching eloquence. Fr. Roshan Fernando, OMI continues the village development and empowerment work started by Fr. Michael. He spoke with inspiring conviction about the sacrifice that Fr. Michael had made while Fr. Jeevantha Peiris delivered an equally passionate talk on the theme of justice. A closing phrase he used struck the hearts of the audience because of its startling truth: “A bullet can-not silence a ballet!” The highlight of the Holy Mass, apart from the profoundly reflective sermon by the Oblate Provincial Superior Very Rev. Fr. Irwin Morais, OMI was the angelic voices of the Maggona seminarians who led the hymns and prayers in harmony. Many in the audience choked back tears remembering the loss of such an exceptional human being whose martyrdom merits only sainthood. The Holy Mass was presided by Very Rev. Fr. Ir-win Morais, OMI and concelebrated by Rev. Fr. Roshan Silva, OMI and Rev. Fr. Sunil Wijeratne from the Diocese of Badulla.

Text: Nandini Gunawardena

Contd. from Pg. 1 Fr. Mike....

“Secularism which breeds irreligious attitudes and concepts is alien to our culture and cannot be a part of it,” His Eminence reiterated and added that secularism in any way was not applicable to a country like ours. Shrastrapathi Panditha Pujya Galagama Dham-maransi Thera in his address said that a people indiffer-ent to religious belief, without religious consciousness will naturally make this country slip into a nation full of wild animals. He said that it was a person’s religious concept that disciplines him and makes him a human. Secularism does not permit this. The Thera also noted that it was in-evitable for a person to take on animalistic tendencies if that person’s life is not moulded by his religious thinking.

Contd. from Pg. 1 Religious Leaders.. Praising His Eminence, Malcolm Cardinal Ran-jith as a leader of stature who has won the hearts of the Buddhist leaders of this country and the regard of other religions, the Thera said that His Eminence was a person who valued the principles of other religious beliefs while at the same time protecting his own religious doctrine. Thus we owe a deep gratitude to this courageous leader who does not hesitate to speak of the disaster that would befall our country if we allow this country to be a Secular State. Moulavi Asath Moulana, a representative of the interreligious movement said that the voice His Eminence raised to free the country from the clutches of secularism should be appreciated by all. Present on the occasion was the Parish Priest of Our Lady of Fatima Church, Maradana Rev. Fr. Angelo Wi-jewickrema, OMI.

Rector's Day was celebrated at St. Peter's College, Co-lombo with a Thanksgiving Holy Mass presided by the

Rector of the College, Rev. Fr. Trevor Gerard Martin. The homily was delivered by Very Rev. Fr. Manokumaran Na-garatnam, Parish Priest St. Lawrence’s Church, Wellawatte and Episcopal Vicar for Tamil Apostolate in the Archdio-cese. In his homily Fr. Manokumaran emphasised the significant role that Catholic Schools play in the overall development of the nation by promoting a much-valued and disciplined environment in its approach to educa-tion. Spirituality creates and nurtures discipline. Referring to St. Martin of Tours to whom the

Rector's Day St. Peter's CollegeMass was dedicated and who was the Patron Saint of Fr. Trevor Martin, he said that though a soldier, when St. Martin converted to Christianity, he served the Lord with the same intense sense of dedication and commitment. The Holy Mass was followed by a very special felicitation assembly where the entire Peterite Family, expressed their affection, admiration, appreciation and gratitude to the Rector. In his address, the Rector of the College while showing his appreciation said that Peterites should be-come disciplined leaders with values and virtues. They should be quality gentlemen with sound moral and ethi-cal principles.

From Pg. 1

XX = November 19, 2017Messenger

“… so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back’” (Matthew 25,25)

As the year dedicated to St. Joseph Vaz draws to a close it is but fit-ting that we recollect the last days

in the earthly life of the Saint himself. From the year 1707 to 1709, St. Joseph Vaz was confined to the city of Kandy because of his continuous ill-ness. However, in early 1710, he em-barked on a long missionary errand to Koddiyar and environs, which ultimately turned out to be his last missionary er-rand which he could not complete as he was suddenly taken ill. As a result he had to be carried back to Kandy in a pa-lanquin as he was unable even to walk. Unfortunately, while nearing Kandy and descending a hillock he fell from the pa-lanquin and was bleeding from his ear. Those with him presumed that he was almost dying or even dead as he was un-conscious. However, on reaching Kandy he recovered and at the behest of King Narendra Sinha, Royal physicians attended on him. Ever since, the wound in his right ear continued to cause him much pain and in course of time, it may have turned tetanus. Like many saints in the calendar of the Catholic Church, St. Joseph Vaz too, had to undergo his share of suffering as a result of which he was confined to his church in Kandy, while Fathers Jacome Gonsalves and Ignatius Almeida attend-ed to all the missionary needs which were normally undertaken by the Saint himself. In August 1710, as the final Ran-doli Perahera was parading the streets of Kandy, King Narendra Sinha ordered the Perahera to halt in front of the Catholic Church and he sent two of his courtiers to go in and report about the health of Fr. Vaz. They informed the King that his condition was causing anxiety as he appeared quite weak. However, Fr. Vaz came out of his sick bed and stood on the steps in front of his church as a mark of respect to royalty after which the Pera-hera slowly moved along. As the year 1710 drew to a close, Fr. Vaz knew that his earthly life too was drawing to a close. He could not even cel-ebrate Holy Mass. Throughout his life Fr. Vaz had never written to his superiors in Goa nor to anyone else anything about himself or his deeds. Such was his humil-ity. Fr. S. G. Perera S. J. refers to him thus, "He was so humble a man with a low opinion of himself so much so that he never spoke, never wrote nor described

his experiences. There is hardly any let-ter of his about his work nor any account coming from his pen or traceable to his lips." However, sensing his last days on earth he wrote the following letter to his superior in Goa, just the day before he passed away:-

Kandy, 15th January 1711My Very Reverend Spiritual Father,

From the rapidity with which my strength is ebbing away, I think that the time has come when I shall have to quit this per-ishable body. Let your reverence therefore take upon yourself the superiorship along with the care of the whole Mission and settle all things as you think best, but me, you can only order to pray to the Lord to give you and the other Fathers, strength of body and soul to labour in the service of God and to bless your labours so that they may become fruitful, a thing I will do as well as I can but other things I cannot do. I am not able to weigh the needs or the good or the perils of the Mission. Now I cannot read and it is only with great effort and by reading the whole day, a little at a time that I get through the Divine Office. I cannot even fix my mind properly on what is read out to me by another, nor speak, as my head is weak owing to the pains and heaviness on the right side where I had or still have the wound in the ear. I beg you all to pray to God to grant me the grace of a holy death and receive a happy eternity. I also beg you to offer for my soul three Masses each and to recite the office once over and above of what is of obligation, for I know the char-ity of my brethren. I also beg them to offer for my soul the labours of three days.

May God keep Your Reverence,Your Reverence's unworthy servant and very obedient subject.Sgd. Joseph Vaz

His last earthly gift was that of his blanket, to a poor old woman who came shivering to his doorstep. With this gift he stripped himself of all earthly pos-sessions having nothing to call his own and was now ready to meet his Creator empty handed. His last hours on the night of January 15 were very touching. He re-quested that he be left alone to speak to the Lord and that he would call them when his hour had come. When he did so, he made two requests. The first that

he be placed on the floor to die as a poor sinner to which the Fathers politely re-fused, the second, that his crucifix be sent to his home in Goa to which the Fathers readily agreed (This Crucifix is now enshrined in his Room in Sancoale, Goa). Lastly, the Fathers requested from him a parting message, and responding in Sinhala he said, "No one can do at his deathbed what he had failed to do in his life time." He then requested for a lighted candle and holding on to it firmly made the Profession of Faith, repeated the Acts of Faith, Hope and Charity and requested the Fathers to recite the prayers for the agony to which he gave the responses till the end. All this while his temperature was rising and suddenly it began to drop abruptly. This was the sign he had fore-told earlier of his death. The household servants were then called to his room. As the first streaks of dawn fell on the city of Kandy on Friday January 16, 1711 this man of God, son of Goa and Apostle of Sri Lanka, clearly pronounc-ing the name of Jesus, breathed his last in an aura of sanctity. King Narendra Sinha ordered three days of mourning as the city of Kandy resembled a sea of white flags. Thousands from among all religions filed past his body which lay in the middle of his church. On the morning of January

19, he was laid to rest in front of the al-tar after a fitting oration delivered by Fr. Jacome Gonsalves. Even in death St. Jo-seph Vaz continues his humility by not divulging the exact location of his grave to the many Church historians who re-main baffled to this day. In conclusion, it is but appro-priate that we look back at what Fr. S. G. Perera SJ, summarised of Fr. Joseph Vaz' mission in Ceylon:- "His was an achievement little short of marvellous. From whatever an-gle you look at it, it must be declared a marvel. The dangers he had to face, the absolute lack of means, the strength and forces of the enemy, the wide extent of the Island, the lack of proper means of communication, the helplessness of the people or their cowed spirit before a bul-lying persecutor, or the physical weak-ness and isolation of this Apostle - from whatever point of view you examine it and compare the inadequacy of the means with the grandeur of the result, there is no comparison in the East or even in any other quarter of the globe, a parallel to Ceylon with its diverse races and different languages, crushed under a ruthless persecution and rescued the Church from the jaws of death by a priest toiling single-handed for nine years” (Historical Sketches, PP 93).

The Last Days of St. Joseph Vaz

"No one can do at his deathbed what he had failed to do in his

life time."

By Roggy Corera

The future of the Church and the world is depen-dent on the good of the family, said Pope Francis in a video message last Saturday. “The love be-tween a man and woman is one of the most gen-erative human experi-ences, it is the ferment of the culture of encounter and brings to the present world an injection of soci-ality,” the Pope said. “The family born of marriage creates fruit-

ful bonds, which reveal to be the most effective anti-dote against the individu-alism that currently runs rampant.” Quoting his 2016 Apostolic Exhortation, Amoris laetitia, he empha-sised, “Indeed the good of the family is decisive for the future of the world and of the Church.” The Pope sent a video message to partici-pants in the Third Inter-national Symposium on Amoris laetitia, organised

by the Italian Bishops’ Con-ference which took place in Rome on November 11, under the theme, ‘The Gospel of love between conscience and norm’. Speaking about the role of the properly formed conscience, Pope Francis warned against the temptation to turn to a sort of egoism or ‘cult of self’. “The contempo-rary world risks confus-ing the primacy of con-science, which is always to be respected, with the

exclusive autonomy of the individual in relation to the relationships he lives,” he said. This is why, he said, there is a need to form consciences – not substitute them – and to accompany spouses and parents in learning to ap-ply the Gospel to the con-creteness of life. In the reality of the family and of marital love, there may come situ-ations which require ardu-ous choices, he continued

and these should be made with righteousness. Therefore, divine grace, which il-luminates and strengthens mar-ried love and pa-rental mission, is absolutely necessary for spouses and the family. “In the family, diversity is valued and at the same time brought into unity,” Pope Francis said explaining that the family is the harmonious

union of the differences between man and woman, which becomes stronger and more authentic to the extent that it is fruitful, capable of opening itself to life and to others.

EWTN

The future of the world depends on the family

“His master said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy servant!” (Matthew 25,26)

Young World

Thirty six children from the Parish of Dummaladeniya received First Holy Communion with Holy Mass presided by the Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Pius Nihal Fernando. Ruvira

FiRST HoLY CoMMuNioN CELEBRATioNS✤ Dummaladeniya

Twenty one children from the Parish of Andiambalama received First Holy Com-munion recently, with Holy Mass presided by the Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Ruwan Reid Liyanage. The children are seen in a group photograph with the Parish Priest and Catechism teachers.

T. Sunil Fernando

✤ Andiambalama ✤ Dalugama

Thirty five children from the Parish of Dalugama received First Holy Communion. Picture shows the children with the Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Lalith Perera, Assistant Par-ish Priest Rev. Fr. Tharaka Alwis, Rev. Bro. Chinthaka Pathum, Rev. Sr. Madonna Fon-seka and Catechism teachers. Jude Daniel

Seventeen children from the Church of Our Lady of Good Health, Kalkudah in the Bat-ticaloa Diocese received First Holy Communion. In this group photo-graph, the children are seen with His Lordship Rt. Rev. Dr. Joseph Ponniah, Bishop of Bat-ticaloa, Rev. Fathers, Rev. Sisters and Catechism teachers.

Chinthaka de Mel

✤ Kalkudah

A programme on journalistic writing conducted by Mr. Kumara Nayana-jith of the Lama Pradeepaya was held at St. Barba-ra’s Sunday School in Thalahena un-der the guidance of the Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Anura Sri Kamal. Anton Jayasuriya

Writing skills programme at Thalahena The Church Feast

of St. Andrew Avel-lino, Kadawata was held recently. Picture shows the pandal erected at the en-trance to the church by the Parish youth group. The pandal was constructed us-ing over a 1000 co-conuts, which were later sold at a low price. H. A. Caldera

Going nuts the pandal way

XVIII November 19, 2017Messenger

Questions

St. John the Baptist (Luke 1-3; Matthew 14)686. What was the occasion when Zechariah’s mouth “opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God”? 687. What was the reaction of the people to all these events? 688. How does Luke narrate about the growth of John? 689. Where was John “until the day of his manifestation to Israel”? 690. When was John freed from the Original Sin? 691. How did the ancient prophets prophesy about the coming of John the Baptist? 692. Fill in the blanks (Luke 3,1-2).

“In the fifteenth year of the reign of …, when … was governor of Judea, and … was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother … tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and … was tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of … and …, the word of God came to John the son of … in the ...”

693. What was John doing in the region of Jordan? 694. What did John exhort the crowds? 695. What did John exhort the tax collectors? 696. What did John exhort the soldiers? 697. What would be the fate of those unrepentant sinners who could not produce good fruits? 698. What is true repentance? 699. What are the seasons, set aside by the Church as periods of repentance? 700. Why did John censure Herod? 701. What happened to him when he censured him? 702. Why did he not kill him at once? 703. What happened to John at the end? 704. On which occasion? 705. Who performed a dance before the guests and delighted Herod? 706. What did Herod promise her? 707. What did she ask then? 708. Who prompted this to her? 709. How did Herod react to the request? 710. Why did Herod change his mind to have John beheaded? 711. How did we become prophets? 712. Who gave his life thirty years ago (10th November, 1987) for the prophetic vocation?

Mission of Jesus Christ (Luke 3 – 4)713. In which form did the Holy Spirit descend upon Jesus at His Baptism? 714. “And a voice came from heaven” at Baptism. What did it say? 715. How did the Holy Trinity manifest at Baptism? 716. With whom was Jesus filled by the Jordan?717. Where did Jesus move, “filled with the holy Spirit”? 718. What happened to Jesus in the desert? 719. What did the devil suggest to Jesus, when He was hungry? 720. What was Jesus’ reply? 721. How did the devil try to tempt Jesus for the second time? 722. How did Jesus respond to the second temptation? 723. How did the devil try to tempt Jesus for the third time? 724. What was Jesus’ reply? 725. What can we learn from the First Temptation?

Responses686. “on the eighth day to circumcise the child”

687. i. “they rejoiced” at the birth of John ii. “all were amazed” at the name John iii. “Then fear came upon all their neighbours” when Zechariah started talking iv. “and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea” v. “What, then, will this child be? For surely the hand of the Lord was with him”

688. “The child grew and became strong in spirit”

689. in the desert

690. When he leaped for joy having felt the presence of the Messiah

691. i. “Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me … Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts” (Malachi 3,1)

XIX November 19, 2017 Messenger

“So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter?” (Matthew 25,26)

A CoMPANioN To SCHooL STuDENTS Faith in the Holy Trinity

2017 Fr. Don Anton Saman Hettiarachchi

Logos: 25

O/L CATHOLICISM

ii. “A voice cries out: In the desert prepare the way of the LORD! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!” (Isaiah 40,3)

692. “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert.”

693. “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins”

694. i. “Produce good fruits as evidence of your repentance” leaving aside the self-pride of being Abrahamic children

ii. “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise”

695. “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed”

696. “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages”

697. “Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire”

698. Repentance = change of one’s attitudes + life style

699. Advent & Lent

700. “because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil deeds Herod had committed”

701. He was put in prison by Herod.

702. “Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people, for they regarded him as a prophet”

703. He was beheaded.

704. at a birthday celebration of Herod

705. “the daughter of Herodias”

706. “he swore to give her whatever she might ask for”

707. “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist”

708. Herodias, her mother

709. i. The king was distressed, ii. and he had John beheaded in the prison

710. “because of his oaths and the guests who were present”

711. Through the sacred Sacrament of Baptism

712. Rev. Fr. Michael Rodrigo OMI

713. “like a dove”

714. “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased”

715. Father = voice from heaven; Son = Jesus; Holy Spirit = like a dove

716. “with the holy Spirit”

717. “into the desert”

718. i. “for forty days, to be tempted by the devil” ii. “He ate nothing during those days”

719. “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread”

720. “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone’”

721. i. “Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant.”

ii. “The devil said to him, “I shall give to you all this power and their glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I may give it to whomever I wish. All this will be yours, if you worship me”

722. “It is written: ‘You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve’”

723. i. “Then he led him to Jerusalem, made him stand on the parapet of the temple” ii. “He said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ and: ‘With their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone’”724. “It also says, ‘You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test’”

725. i. One should use one’s power for common good ii. The life nourished by the Word of God is worth living

Contd. Next week

Your suggestions are welcome. Your comments are deeply appreciated.

You can contact me on 2291540 or 0718004580 as I am in Sri Lanka now for any clarifications.

E-mail: [email protected]

“Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?” (Matthew 25,27)

Dear Readers,

This is our lesson 37. In our last lesson we looked at homophones, homonyms, homographs, and tried out a les-son on reading.

In this lesson let’s learn the use of ‘but’. The lesson is prepared on the request of some keen readers of our lessons who wish to delve into the intricacies of the linguistic awareness of ‘But’ and its uses.

You are welcome to express your views.

Noel Jayamanne

Language Study & English

Grammar

XVII November 19, 2017 Messenger

Activity 1- Play the roles of Sumaga and his Sir with a partner with correct stress and intonation.Sumaga : Good Morning, Sir. May I come in?

Sir : Yes. Sumaga.

Sumaga : Thank you, Sir. We looked at Homophones, Homographs and Homonyms.

Sir : That’s right. Today, Sumaga I am going meet a request of one of my very intimate priest frinds who wishes to delve into the intricacies of the linguistic awareness of ‘But’ and its uses.

Sumaga : As ‘but’ serves a multi lingual purpose belonging to several word classes, I too want to learn a descriptive explanation of ‘But’ and its uses.

Sir : The lesson looks theoretical but I hope the examples will help the readers to understand the conceptual meaning of ‘But”

Sumaga : But, I think the lesson will be very important for teachers like us. Sir : Yes. Sumaga. Give me your feedback after going through the description.

But has synonyms such as [ nonetheless / nevertheless /then/ but then again/ but then /on the other hand / however ]

According to Oxford Advanced Leaner’s Dictionary ‘ but’ has four grammatical forms. It can operate as a conjunction, preposition, adverb and noun.

e.g. I got it wrong. It wasn’t the white one but the red one. His mother won’t be there but his father might.

(a)‘But’ expresses [however/ despite this]. (e.g i) I’d asked all the members but only two of them came. (e.g. ii)By the end of the day we were tired but happy. (b)‘But’ expresses nevertheless. This is used when you are saying sorry about some-thing. [(e.g. I’m sorry but I can’t stay any longer.]

‘But expresses ‘except’ [e.g. I had no choice but to sign the contract].

‘But’ is used before repeating a word in order to emphasize it: e.g. Nothing. But nothing would make him change his mind.

‘But’ is literary used before repeating a word to emphasize that something is always true. e.g. She never passed her old home but she thought of the happy days she had spent there.Idiomatic use of ‘But’ - but for–[if it were not for] He would have played but for a knee injury. Except for – (The park was empty but for a couple of cabs).

But for - Note that but for as a preposition has a different meaning from but by itself[Study the following examples - [(i)If it hadn't been for your generosity, I wouldn't have been able to go to America.(ii) But for your generosity, I wouldn't have been able to go to America]

‘But then again’ refers to [‘however / on the other hand’] e.g He might agree. But then again he might have a completely different opinion.

‘But’ is used before a statement that explains or gives a reason for what has just been said. She speaks very good English. But then she lived in England for two years.

You cannot / couldn’t but …. is used to show that everything else is impossible ex-cept the thing that you are saying. What could he do but forgive her.

But as a conjunction - We usually think of but as a conjunction linking two contras-tive sentences or clauses:• They had very little money, but (they) always bought their children expensive presents.• They were poor, but (they were) hardworking.• My car is fifteen years old, but (it) still drives beautifully.• I've been to Kandy but I've never been to Jaffna.• I sometimes swim in the North Sea, but (I) only (ever swim there) in July and August.• I wanted to sign the contract there and then. But my husband insisted me to delay.

But as a preposition-‘But’ as a preposition – This means except or apart from e.g. (i) We have had nothing but trouble with this car. (ii) The problem is anything but easy. (iii) Who but Rosa could think something like that? (iv) Everyone was there but him. (v) I came last but one in the race.

(vi) I wasn’t last but next to last. (vii) Take the first turning but one (= not the first one but the one after it)

But means ‘except’ when it is used after words like [all, everything/nothing, everyone/no one, everybody/nobody ]

[The cleaning is done now, all but the floors].[ They still have to be washed I arrived at the airport and realized that I’d brought everything but my passport] [ Everyone but Anna has checked in ] [ Nobody but the receptionist was left in the lobby of the hotel ]

We use but [as an alternative to except (for), apart from and bar] to introduce the only thing or person that the main part of the sentence does not include. It is often used after words such as everyone, nobody, anything, anywhere, all, no, none, any, every.

• I'll go anywhere for my holiday but[ / bar / except (for) ] Blackpool. I really hate it there.• On holiday he eats nothing but [ / bar / apart from hamburgers and French fries.• She took everything on holiday with her but [/ bar / apart from] the kitchen sink.• Everybody but the very young must carry their own belongings in a rucksack.• I've marked all the essays but [/ bar / except (for) / apart from] two.• Nobody but [/ except (for) / bar] Jessica would wear a mini-dress at a formal dinner• I swear by Almighty God to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.• I affirm that I will tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

They live in the house next but one to Mary. (i.e. two houses away from Mary)But used as an adverb

‘But’ as an adverb. This means only. (1) I don’t think we’ll manage it. Still, we can but try. (2) There is but one God (3) But for the excessive humidity, it might have been a pleasant day

But as a noun‘But’ is also used as a noun in the plural. It is a reason that somebody not doing some-thing or not agreeing. e.g. Let’s have no buts, he said firmly. Don’t come with ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’. Get ready to complete the job somehow.

But as a pronoun/ relative pronoun‘But’ as a relative pronoun-(1)There is no father but loves his children. - (But = who/which + H.V. + not+...)(2) He is a father but loves his children. (3) He is such a father but loves his children.(4) There is no one but knows it. (=There is no one who does not know it.)(5) There is no rule but has some exceptions.

The relative pronouns what, as and but

What is used only to refer to things and not persons. When used as a relative pro-noun what means ‘that which’.[1]I mean what I say. (= I mean that which I say.) [2] What is one man’s meat is another man’s poison. [3]Take down what I say. [4]What cannot be cured must be endured.

We have shipped everything that you ordered. (NOT We have shipped everything what you ordered.)As - As is used as a relative pronoun after such, and sometimes after the same.He is such a man as I honor. My position is the same as yours.

But - After a negative, the word but is used as a relative pronoun in the sense of who…not or which…not. [ (i) There is no rose but has some thorn. (= There is no rose which does not have some thorn.) - Agreement of the relative pronoun and its antecedentThe relative pronoun must be of the same number and person as its antecedent. Hence the verb which follows the relative pronoun must agree with the antecedent in number and person.He, who was so weak, could not walk. (Here the verb was agrees with the antecedent he in number and person.)

Sunday, November 19, 2017 Vol 148 No 45 24 Pages Rs: 30.00 ... · 11/19/2017 · Teachers organised by Rev. Fr. Piyal Janaka Fernando, Di-rector, National Catechetical Centre of

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