A 400 km Way of the Cross, Bandra to Nashik "Dhoje Yatra Via Crucis" [Dhoje in Mara- thi language means "flag"] Fr. Satish Ka- dam, director of the Committee for Youth Ministry of the Diocese of Nashik. The name comes from the fact that, all the way, a young man will lead carrying a flag while the others follow, singing devo- tional songs, praying the rosary and other prayers. A van follows the pilgrims, carry- ing costumes and clothes needed to rec- reate the passion of Christ, adapted in the local Marathi language. At all times, one of the youth will be running on foot, it is a relay pilgrimage, where all the 40 youths, Mangalore Branch of Way of the Cross, strictly on foot, and remote areas of the diocese of Na- covering a distance of about 400 shik. The event involved the majority of the The Secular Citizen A km that separates Mount Mary's youth of Ahmednagar district, from farm- DIVO Konkani Weekly Bandra from Mount Mary in Haregaon. ing families, with the aim to strengthen the and A pilgrimage promoted during this time bond of unity and enhance the "devotion" of Lent, which gathered about 40 young to Mary and "peace". Royal Christian Family Indian Catholics to renew - as the motto Netravati Building, 2nd Floor, Balmata of the initiative - the call to a "spiritual con- The journey began with a Mass at the Road, Mangalore 575001 version" and to "share the Good News of Mount Mary Basilica in Bandra on 1st, Tel.: 8139958222 Christ." Mumbai and ended on April 4, with a Mass Subscriptions, at the Marian shrine of Haregaon Nashik The pilgrimage, now in its sixth edition, (Ahmednagar district). 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Rs. 500 per insertion (for 35 words) (includes box no.) Rs. 2000 for 12 insertions. (1 year The Secular Citizen FREE) Contents LENT 2017: pg. 3 - Lent 2017: Forgiveness ... pg. 5 - Voice of the People Forgiveness And Bitterness pg. 7 - The Good that Came from by Don Aguiar that Fateful Friday! pg. 9 - News in Brief Pope Francis quoted from a passage which says “Stop judging and you will not be judged. pg. 10 - Countries with shockingly Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven”. pg. 11 - Views on News “All Christians – he said – must forgive! Why? Because all of us, each one of us here in the pg. 12 - Soon, skyscraper to ... Square, has been forgiven. During our lives we have all been in need of the Lord’s forgive- ness – and if God can forgive me – Pope Francis continued – why should I not forgive the pg. 13 - The Taize style of prayer other? Am I greater than God?” pg. 14 - Journeying in hope and resilience He also explained that by forgiving one another we express the free gift of God’s love and respond to Jesus’s invitation to give freely of our own love, because – he said: “all we have pg. 15 - Palm Sunday Liturgy to has been freely given to us by God, and we will receive only in the measure that we freely Passion Week give to others”. pg 16 - Sermon from the Pulpit ... So don’t forget - the Pope concluded – mercy and gift, forgiveness and gift – that’s how to pg 19 - Inspiration! make your hearts bigger and full of love. pg 20 - Matrimonials In our Pope footsteps - This LENT one of the things we can practice is FORGIVENESS and pg 22 - Stop use of EVMs for ... giving up BITTERNESS A woman once repeated a nasty piece of gossip about a friend. The news travelled, and soon everyone knew the nasty news. The woman’s friend was deeply hurt, not only by the Subscriptions Rate: untruths being said about her but by the betrayal by a friend. One year (anywhere in India) Rs. 250 Three years (anywhere in India) Rs. 700 The woman who had first passed on the gossip was also wounded, wracked with guilt over the pain she had caused her friend. She approached her grandfather, a man she had Five years (anywhere in India) Rs. 1000 always seen as very wise, and asked what she could do to set things right. One year (outside India) Rs. 2500 “Buy a chicken, and have it killed. Then on your way home, pluck its feathers and drop E-paper Edition them along the road. When you have done this come and see me again.” sent anywhere in the world (by email) The woman was somewhat perplexed by this advice but she followed it anyway. The next One year Rs. 600 or US $ 15 day she returned to her grandfather. This time he told her to go and collect all the feathers Two years Rs. 1000 or US $ 25 she had dropped on the road yesterday and bring them to him. Cover : Palm Sunday Liturgy to “But that’s impossible” she said. “They’ll have all blown away.” Passion Week: (Article on p. 15) (Contd.. on p. 4) 10 April 2017 3 (Contd.. from p. 3) joy. The Lord has promised: aware of it, and if you are aware you will be “Exactly” said her grandfather, “it’s easy to surprised; you are in for a surprise – maybe drop them, but it’s impossible to get them “Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the greatest surprise of your life — that as back. It’s the same with gossip. It doesn’t the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remem- you become aware, anger disappears. An- take much to spread a rumour, but once you ber them no more” (D&C 58:42). ger is transformed. Anger becomes pure do, you can never undo the hurt. But per- energy; anger becomes compassion, anger haps you can ask forgiveness.” Remember man is frail and weak and to err becomes forgiveness, anger becomes love. is human. And people who invented this FORGIVENESS is one of the most funda- proverb, “To err is human” have also in- And you need not repress, so you are not mental things to understand. People ordinar- vented the proverb “To forgive is divine” to burdened by some poison. And you are not ily think that forgiveness is for those who are forgive oneself is one of the greatest virtues being angry, so you are not hurting anybody. worthy of it, who deserve it. But if somebody because if you cannot forgive yourself you Both are saved: the other, the object of your deserves, is worthy of forgiveness, it is not cannot forgive anybody else in the world – it anger, is saved, and you are saved. In the much of a forgiveness. You are not doing is impossible. You are so full of wounds, of past, either the object was to suffer, or you anything on your part; he deserves it. You guilt – how can you forgive anybody? Your were to suffer. are not really being love and compassion. so called saints going on saying that you will Your forgiveness will be authentic only when be thrown into hell. The reality is, they are What I am saying is that there is no need for even those who don’t deserve it receive it.