Pics: Stanley Bantwal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore

Mangalore, Jan 14: The annual feast of Infant Jesus was celebrated on Monday January 14 with a solemn mass at 6 pm. The mass was presided by Bishop of Asansol, West Bengal Dr Cyprian Monis along with Dr Archibald Gonsalves (Provincial Ocd) and other priests.

Fr Rajesh D’souza (director, Carmel Jyothi Trust, Ballari) preached the homily and said that faith is a constant search, a search between God and human. When these searches merge together then faith arises. Some think that faith is a burden, but it is not so. Rather it is a precious gift from above, he said.

"In this year of faith the Holy Pope Benedict XVI, in his encyclical ‘Porta Fidei” gives us a clarion call to ‘Rediscover our Faith’.

"We have to rediscover our faith in various aspects through,

· Rediscovering the word of God
· Rediscovering the importance of the Holy Eucharist, which is the Bread of life.
· Rediscovering the importance of ‘Love’
· Rediscovering the importance of ‘Good Deeds’

We have received our Christian faith from our forefathers and it is our responsibility to hand over this ‘faith’ to our children and for the future generation.," he added.

Fr Gregory D’souza, Fr Deep Fernandes, Fr Deepak Tauro, Fr Joachim D’souza, Fr Stephen Pereira and the Friars of St Joseph Monastery, Carmel Alter Sodality, OCDS, Carmel Soldiers worked together to carry on the celebrations in a systematic way.

Fr Pius James D’Souza the Superior of the Carmelite Monastery thanked the congregation and the celebrant priests. With the initiative of Fr Elias, the shrine director and with the help of the volunteers the celebration went on smoothly. Devotees flocked to Infant Jesus in thousands and received the blessings in abundance.