Media Release
Bangalore, Mar 6: The Year of Reconciliation in the Archdiocese of Bangalore was inaugurated during the 6 am mass in Kannada and 7 am in Tamil Mass on Ash Wednesday March 5 at St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral by Archbishop Dr Bernard Moras.
During the mass Archbishop inaugurated the year of Reconciliation by unveiled the logo and lighting the lamp with Fr Jayanathan, Fr A S Anthony Swamy the Parish Priest and a representative from the community.
The theme of the Year 'Blessed are the Peacemakers' was coined from the Gospel of Matthew (5:9) that propagates a call for reconciliation among the sons and daughters of God and to enjoy the privilege of intimate union with the Triune God. This celebration is also an beginning of the Platinum Jubilee year of the diocese of Bangalore, which was erected on February 13 as the independent diocese from the diocese of Mysore.
Bangalore as the Archdiocese had completed its diamond jubilee recently now the Diocese isheading for its Platinum Jubilee. It’s a coinciding event for both year of reconciliation and Platinum jubilee of the diocese of Bangalore.
In every Mass the Archbishop symbolically shared the peace of Christ and the sign of reconciliation with the community through the sign of embracing and handshaking with the twelve members, who represented the community as a whole.
The Logo and the theme for the Year of Reconciliation were explained by Jayanathan during the homily by affirming the Holy Fathers invitation on organizing penitential services during this lent. Also a book on the Lenten prayers in kannada was released by Archbishop at the end of the celebration. Similarly a prayer for the year of reconciliation to be resided in the Church and at home throughout the year were released and resided after the communion hymn in all the three different language masses.
In the evening Archbishop offered a Eucharist in English Language at St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral for the English speaking faithful by addressing Year of Reconciliation’s inaugural message. He expressed also the Lenten message of Pope Francis “The Poverty of Jesus, frees us and enriches us”. A reflection inspired from the letter of St Paul to the Corinthians He became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich (cf. 2 Cor 8:9).
The community at large participated and the carried the logo for the year of reconciliation and a prayer pamphlets to their residents.