CMF Bulletin CLARETIAN MISSIONARIES PROVINCE OF BENGALURU Vol. IX-XXIX Issue 04(123) Christmas 2016 LET US Live the “LittLe God” he love of God that has taken human flesh and entered “Now I see why You had to do it” wrote Tinto the human spirit is an unparalleled event in the Louis Cassels in A Christmas Parable. And history of humanity that changed the human destiny indeed God had to do it, had to become once and for all. The song of the Angles on the Christmas one of us to make us understand because night “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to despite God’s best efforts throughout men of good will” (Lk. 2:14) is not just a beautiful heavenly all the Old Testament we still didn’t get chorus but it is a promise and a challenge. It is a promise that the message. Sometimes you have to, the kingdom of God has been established among us with all as we say, rub their noses in it to make them understand. its glory and beauty. It is a challenge that we toil and pray Christmas is, in a sense, God rubbing our noses in it to make always to make God’s Kingdome accessible to us by becoming us understand. Christmas is God saying, “May be this will ourselves the ambassadors of “peace and goodwill”. I pray grab your attention.” The Letter to the Hebrews expresses moments in the past and that His kingdom may it beautifully, “At various come among us and I wish you all the joy and peace by many means, God spoke of a Merry and Happy to our ancestors through Christmas! the prophets; but in our time, the final days, he has Pope Benedict XVI says, spoken to us in the person “God’s sign is the Baby: we of his Son.” (Heb 1:1-2) learn to live with him and to practice with him that God has spoken to us, the humility of renunciation Word has become flesh. Let that belongs to the very us then allow God’s word essence of love” (Benedict to sink into our hearts. Let XVI). God comes to our us live the “Little-God” in encounter, in the human form just as one among us. He our life and grow with Him just as He grew. May the God of appears in front of us with the humility of his swaddling- our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give us a spirit of clothes: never before a “God-wrapped- in-swaddling wisdom and perception of what is revealed, to bring us to clothes”! In the cold and the poverty of Bethlehem He begins the full knowledge of Him. to load his small shoulders with the weight of ordinary Once again wish you all the beauty, blessings and joy of this daily life. He continued to live the ‘human life’ in its most sacred Season. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year challenging and demanding ways. He had to toil hard for his 2017! daily bread that he taught us the best way is to pray to God Fr. Jacob Arakkal John, CMF the Father for our daily bread (Mt.6:11-12). Finally he has Provincial Superior carried away our sins through his suffering and death and won for us the eternal life. Claretian Provincial House, Malleswaram West, Bengaluru - 560 055, Karnataka, India 1 CMF Bulletin Christmas 2016 - Province of Bengaluru FORMATION Claretian Seminary, Malleswaram Claret Niketan, Kailasapuram Regents’ Meeting Ministries of Lector and Acolyte Claret Niketan Kailasapuram, Vizag hosted the regents’ meeting this year. Held on 13-14 November 2016, it was attended by all the six regents of the province. Travelling from Bangalore, Jharkhand and parts of Andhra Pradesh and coming together they shared their varied experience in diverse contexts. Their initial anxieties and fears in a new place and set-up melted away gradually. On 17 November 2016, eight of our 2nd year theology Each of them expressed: “We try our best to contribute to the students made their first step in participating in the life of the community and make the community richer and ministerial priesthood in the Catholic Church. During the lively with our presence”. Holy Eucharistic celebration Rev. Fr. Jacob Arakkal John, the Provincial Superior, conferred the orders of Lector During personal dialogue, they expressed, though language and Acolyte on Birajman Tigga, Chetan Kumar, Jayaraju learning at this stage is slow “we have a sense of satisfaction”. Oddepogu, Jessin Joseph, Kevin Prem, Nelson P. Thomas, Siljo They shared that superiors give them feedbacks, affirm them Michael and Tony Mathew. Father Provincial expressed his and community members do encourage them. Accompanied sentiments of joy and hope, seeing eight young missionaries by fathers at Kailasapuram community, regents enjoyed an readying themselves for God’s work, and thanked them for evening out visiting Kailasgiri and RK Beach. On the whole, the gift of their commitment in the Claretian Congregation. it was a time of sharing – rejuvenation and an occasion for He urged them to strive to live more fully their missionary mutual up-building among the regents. vocation and to be moulded more perfectly in the likeness of IJesusnter- theSem Master Volleyball and our Final founder, Father Claret. Claret Niketan, Belagavi CLANIAC 2016-17 It is after many years that the Claretian The Claret Niketan Seminary Annual Competitions for the academic volleyball team reached the year 2016-17 was final of the inaugurated on annual Inter- 11 November 2016. Sem Competitions. Earlier we had comfortably defeated the Fr. Joseph Mundackal, Kristu Jyoti team to enter the finals. The Final match was the Vicar of the played in Dharmaram grounds at on 22 November 2016 community marked off the completions. The students were between us and the O.Carm (Order of Carmelites) Seminary divided into three groups: Challengers, Dominators and team. Claretians played well and finally conceded defeat. Hunters. These competitions are aimed at the holistic growth Considering the small number of students in the Seminary of the students. The competitions include literary events, in the recent years, reaching the final was not a small sports and cultural events. achievement – Congratulations to the Captain Jayaraju and team! 2 SPIRIT-FILLED WITNESSES AND MESSENGERS CMF Bulletin Christmas 2016 - Province of Bengaluru MISSION Snehajyothi, Athani World Disability Day Celebration in large numbers.“Be Merciful The asretreat the Heavenlymainly focused Father onis Merciful”the theme: On December 3, 2016 Snehajyothi, Centre for the physically . The Sacrament challenged, celebrated its 15th Annual Day and the World of Reconciliation made Disability Day. The day was marked by an awareness the celebration more walk across the streets of Athani with slogans of equality meaningful. At the end, all the sick and the elderly people from our parish were honoured with gifts. Fr. Peter D’Souza, Vice Provincial and prefect of Apostolate addressed the gathering with his thought-provoking message. It was a grace-filled event for the Parish and the faithful. It also served as an on-going programme of spiritual and opportunity and not to treat the disabled as cursed renewal in the parish. or burden in the society. On that day the students of Snehajyothi presented various cultural programmes which St. Claret Vocational were well appreciated by the guests and inmates alike. Training Programme which Shri. Amareshwara Maharaja, a well-known swami of aims at empowering and Athani, Mr. Mahaveer Padnad, congress leader, Mr. Dange, enhancing the women folk who donated uniform to all our students and Dr. Kumbar, of the locality in their social Health Department Athani, were the main guests present and economic status, had on the day. On the previous day of the celebration, we had started with a batch of 20 organized annual sports day for the students and prizes were candidates, 18 of whom completed the course successfully distributed to the winners. by November 2016. The trainees were evaluated for their Catholic Ashram, Barwadih regularity, sense of responsibility, performance in the work Charismatic Retreat album and tailoring skills. In the valedictory function they were awarded with the certificates. Rev. Fr. Peter D’Souza, the chief guest for the function, inspired the gathering with his short message and wished them every success in life. To mark the conclusion of the Year of Mercy, a three day Claret Sadan, Bola residential charismatic retreat was organized from 16- Confraternity Sunday and Conclusion of Year of Mercy 19 November. About 700 parishioners actively attended Mangaloreans are very unique and united in their expression of faith. This was another such occasion in St Lawrence Church, Bola. Though the major feast of the parish, which is schedule in the second week of December is cancelled due the retreat, which was animated by Fr. Binoy V.C and team from Devine Mercy Ashram, Hazaribag. A medical fund was also raised through dumb boxes given to each family at the Christuinauguration Bhavan, of the year Bhattiproluof Mercy. Conclusion of Year of Mercy and Vocational Training to forthcoming construction of the new parish building, the tradition of Eucharistic procession, also known as On 13 November 2016, Christ the Redeemer Church Confraternity Sunday, was celebrated with much solemnity. organized parish level year of mercy concluding celebration Eucharist was taken in procession with due respect and with one day retreat by St. Claret Dhyana Brundham. The adoration. Rev Fr Vincent Sylvester, assistant administrator faithful from all the sub-stations responded enthusiastically of Fr. Muller’s Homeopathy Medical College, was the main SPIRIT-FILLED WITNESSES AND MESSENGERS 3 CMF Bulletin Christmas 2016 - Province of Bengaluru celebrant and meaningfully conducted the adoration.