March 30, 2013
“What is your resolution for the New Year’ is the particular query haunting among families, between friends, from clergy to laity, within the clergy and so on. Everyone intends to contribute to their personal life in the coming Year, new first steps, going away with the past having a strong decision held in the pipeline, is called a resolution which has good intentions for the coming year. However, whether they break it before it starts, is not my question. I am an optimist.
It is interesting to note why such resolutions are not placed prior to celebrating Easter or “Resurrection Sunday” or prior to annual Christian remembrance of Christ’s Resurrection. Is not interesting ? Let me not preach here what is the significance of Easter Festival. In short, the meaning of Easter, for millions of Christians, is that of honoring and recognizing Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead, and His glorious promises of eternal life for all who believe in Him. The meaning of Easter also symbolizes the complete verification of all that Jesus preached and taught during His three-year ministry. Here, my theme is how we all believers can come alive with His Church for to rise with Him as he has promised.
Church ! Yes something to cheer up for this Easter with our New Pope Francis. Don’t you think that following could be the reasons for New Resolutions to be taken up prior to this Easter – to be dead to past and to rise with Christ !
TO CLERGY TO MERGE THEIR LIVES WITH NEW RESOLUTIONS:
By below inscribed quotes from Pope Francis it would be wonderful to understand 'how a Minister of Christ should be' taking them back to the roots of First Pope Peter the Apostle of Christ. World will Love Pope Francis because he has shown the devil (luxury life of Most of Cardinals, wealthy life of Majority of Bishops, uncompromising life of few Priests) the door. Therefore Pope Francis will be called as The True Servant of God chosen by the Universal Church of Christ.
A humble life often brings more recognition. By Pope Francis’s simple life, he is saving approximately perhaps over US $ 50,000/- per day for the Church from his incentives, journey cost, security, food, luxury life style etc etc.,. He has gone back to basics of fishermen’s life. Can you wonder, if a single man could save this much amount per day then how much more money could be saved from the lives of all the Cardinals, Arch Bishops, Bishops, Priests per day? To see our palm do we need a mirror ? And here it goes, comparing with the First Church’s way of life with present churches, their way of life is nothing less than life in the Buckingham Palace as far as comfort is concerned. Therefore, a real servant of God surely pleases God and Man by his simple life. If one Pontiff could bring so much happiness in this world then how much more happiness could be ours if rest of clergy earnestly follow Pope Francis ! Our duty is not to apprehend anything but to pray for the Body and Several parts who have assembled in it.
Our Pope is very much down to earth, He has reprimanded the top Clergy and pleaded with the Faithful for their Blessings and Prayers for Him. It is a totally a new experience, New spiritual Revival is taking place. Soon it will be turned into a Church or Spiritual Movement, will sweep over the world touching the lives of Non-Catholic churches too called ‘A genuine church evolution for the Glory of Christ’. It is the Hand of Christ, Power of Holy Spirit anointed our New Pope Francis. By this time we all of us know that what was the Purpose of Christ for prior to this Easter choosing for the first time a Pope from a Jesuit order, previously might have been considered as a taboo.
TO LAITY:
The more we write about Pope Francis the less it would be. Can somebody imagine, being a Jesuit, calling himself Francis of Assisi of Franciscan order(symbol of poverty) instead of Francis Xavier of Jesuit order. What a bold and humble Minister of God is Francis, The Pope. Message for laity is “Do not spend for no genuine reason but celebrate with poor and unfortunate once by charity." Yes, indeed Pope needs a standing ovation from US while some of non-Jesuit Cardinals, Bishops and Priests might stare at him from the corner of their eyes !
ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL LEADERS:
Pope Francis rejected the “liberation theology” movement in Latin America. But he has a progressive record on economic issues, making poverty a central concern in the church. Global economic leaders, he has said, “don’t take into account poverty, the lack of education, not even the suffering of the elderly.” He has denounced the conditions migrant workers endure as a form of slavery. He lives a modest lifestyle and frequently travels to poor neighborhoods whichever the places he lived in.
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Half is done - More to cover about new resolutions for all us Konkani or Mangalorean Community spread through the world -
WHY, WHAT ARE THEY ?
Body has several parts. Each part cannot justify itself to function indecently or independently with a superior or inferior Quality. All contribute the valued support to the body and body takes happiness in each of its parts. Our parts are many. All parts must work together for the edification of the body. As we celebrate 31th March, Sunday, all parts of body must come together to arise from the ground but to rise with Christ. Parts are many such as Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Baptist, Pentecostal, Born-again Protestant, Pentecostal, Evangelical etc., it would be good if they all come together to Pray and to celebrate Mass at least once in a year for edification of body, Jesus Christ. Building unity all the time is very much defensive than only at the time of church crisis which could be an offensive to the Church.
Let us be dead to the past and become New beings as Christen Brothers and Sisters wherever we may be. Some might say, yeh yeh we are intermingling with the Goan Konkani cultures etc., . It is true, what about with your neighbors in Mangalore?
Divisions/monopoly has no place in the eyes of God which causes further divisions. He has shown us this very strongly and clearly by choosing a New Pope who is from the Jesuit order. If God wants unity among the church, principle of Unity should be also maintained within the Church at large and outside too among we Konkani brethren. Let us confess and let us rise above hate, bandaging our wounds with the Love of Christ so to Resurrect with Him with the beauty of Love, Understanding, Forgiveness and Unity as are going to celebrate Easter Sunday on 31st March. Above given are personal views that I shared with you with a pinch of salt, prior to Easter. Let our lives be filled with unconditional Love to our fellow men without biasness, partiality and hate.
Happy Easter to you all my dear brethren. Many Thanks.
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