The Resurrection of the Lord!

“The joy of the resurrection renews the whole world while the choirs of heaven sing for ever to your glory”, states the Easter Preface. How true. Verily, the joy of the resurrection is what brings such gladness and peace that nothing or no one else can.

Indeed, how glorious is the resurrection! And our Holy Father Pope Benedict the XVI in his URBI ET ORBI message at Easter this year (from which I will quote liberally for the benefit of those who may not have read/heard it) aptly says, “Easter morning brings us news that is ancient yet ever new: Christ is risen! The echo of this event, which issued forth from Jerusalem twenty centuries ago, continues to resound in the Church…”

“The resurrection of Christ is not the fruit of speculation or mystical experience: it is an event which, while it surpasses history, nevertheless happens at a precise moment in history and leaves an indelible mark upon it. The light which dazzled the guards keeping watch over Jesus’ tomb has traversed time and space. It is a different kind of light, a divine light, that has rent asunder the darkness of death and has brought to the world the splendor of God, the splendor of Truth and Goodness,” our Pope adds.

With faithless eyes there indeed is much darkness around us – the corruption scandals, the persecution of Christians in many places, the violence in many lands, the natural disasters striking with deathly blows, the crippling poverty around us. And yet to the eyes of faith, we see that the darkness and ‘sadness of death gives way to the bright promise of immortality’.

We are reminded of the scriptures telling us about creation in the book of Genesis… the formless void and the darkness and chaos that characterized it. And yet, even there, the Triune God reigned supreme. And He spoke order and beauty into the chaos. Our intercessory prayers this month begins with reflections on the creation scriptures, as we pray for the darkness that surrounds us, and we welcome in faith “the Light of Christ” to dispel it.

“Just as the sun’s rays in springtime cause the buds on the branches of the trees to sprout and open up, so the radiance that streams forth from Christ’s resurrection gives strength and meaning to every human hope, to every expectation, wish and plan”, states our Holy Father. He continues in his Easter message, “Dear brothers and sisters! The risen Christ is journeying ahead of us towards the new heavens and the new earth (cf. Rev 21:1), in which we shall all finally live as one family, as sons of the same Father. He is with us until the end of time. Let us walk behind him, in this wounded world, singing Alleluia. In our hearts there is joy and sorrow, on our faces there are smiles and tears. Such is our earthly reality. But Christ is risen, he is alive and he walks with us. For this reason we sing and we walk, faithfully carrying out our task in this world with our gaze fixed on heaven.”

May the Holy Spirit be with us as we prepare our hearts for the feast of Pentecost and a renewal and sanctification of our spirit, mind and body by His power. May Mary our Blessed Mother be with us, in this ‘her own month of May’. May our Blessed John Paul II intercede for us as we endeavor to remain in Christ’s merciful heart.

Peace be with you!

Greetings in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.

As I write this, I pray for all our families that we be open to the Holy Spirit, to melt us, mould us and fashion us, modelled on the Holy Family of Nazareth.

“Let the peace of Christ reign in your hearts” exhorts St Paul to the Colossians (3:15) in today’s second reading. How true! If we have to have peace in our world, in our country, in our city, in our neighbourhood, in our housing society, in our home… it must first start in the hearts of you and me. For too long many of us have put on masks that ‘all is well’, but deep down in our hearts we harbour pain, hurt, anger and unforgiveness. May the Child of Peace, with His gentle touch restore our peace.

Pope Benedict XVI in his Christmas midnight Mass homily echoes this sentiment, “God has appeared – as a child. It is in this guise that he pits himself against all violence and brings a message that is peace. At this hour, when the world is continually threatened by violence in so many places and in so many different ways, when over and over again there are oppressors’ rods and bloodstained cloaks (Isaiah 9), we cry out to the Lord: O mighty God, you have appeared as a child and you have revealed yourself to us as the One who loves us, the One through whom love will triumph. And you have shown us that we must be peacemakers with you. We love your childish estate, your powerlessness, but we suffer from the continuing presence of violence in the world, and so we also ask you: manifest your power, O God. In this time of ours, in this world of ours, cause the oppressors’ rods, the cloaks rolled in blood and the footgear of battle to be burned, so that your peace may triumph in this world of ours.”

And so this month, we focus our prayer on this one aspect of the fruit of the Holy Spirit – PEACE – as we pray for the peace which the world cannot give (Jn14:27), which is endless (Isaiah 9:7) and which surpasses all understanding (Phil 4:7).

1st January is also the World Day of Peace. The Pope in his message for this day writes, “I would like therefore to devote this message for the XLV World Day of Peace 2012 to the theme of education: “Educating Young People in Justice and Peace”, in the conviction that the young, with their enthusiasm and idealism, can offer new hope to the world.” He specifically focuses on the family and educational institutions. “We are living in a world where families, and life itself, are constantly threatened and not infrequently fragmented”, he adds.

The world, the flesh and/or the devil seem to be stealing our peace… BUT, Psalm 29:11 assures us “The Lord will bless his people with peace”. May we not lose hope but trust in His mercy as we pray ‘earnestly’ and ‘fervently’ for peace, especially in our homes and our hearts. We pray also for peace among believers in Jesus Christ, especially during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity that we “may be one… so that the world may believe” in Jesus by our witness (Jn 17:21).

May the Prince of Peace whose Birth we celebrate and for whose return we hope, lead us (Is 11:6). May Mary, Mother of God and Queen of Peace, accompany us.

Planted & Built up

“Planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith” (Col 2:7)

The theme that the youth in Spain and the world over are celebrating at the time of penning this letter seems to be so apt in this ‘crazy’ world around. Everything seems to be in a tailspin - the financial markets reflect the shaky position of the US markets and their European counterparts, while, closer home, the political scenario in India continues to be in a tizzy due to the effects and the after-effects of a corrupt system. We truly seem to be a society on “shaky ground”.

And the journey from ‘shaky ground’ to ‘holy ground’ appears to be what the Lord continually calls us to make. From the call to Moses from the burning bush to the call to our youth to be “Planted and built up in Jesus Christ” the Lord invites us to be “firm in the faith”. Reflecting on this verse, in his letter to the young people, our Holy Father writes, “wherever individuals and nations accept God’s presence, worship him in truth and listen to his voice, then the civilization of love is being built, a civilization in which the dignity of all is respected, and communion increases, with all its benefits.”

But how do we get individuals and nations to accept His presence and worship Him. Romans 10:14 serves as a pointer to us.

But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him?

The responsibility of the proclaimer is tremendous, the joy and reward even greater. And every baptised is called to be a proclaimer. Paul VI clearly stated “To evangelize, is the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her profound identity” (Evangelium nuntiandi, no. 14). How privileged are we to share the good news… to share in the saving work of our Saviour and Lord.

Thus this month we focus our fervent prayer (James 5:16) for the Proclamation Outreach at Mount Mary’s Basilica in Bandra, Mumbai. As thousands upon thousands come to seek the blessings of the Blessed Mother on her birthday, may they discover the Saviour of Mary in whom her ‘spirit rejoices’ (Luke 1:47) as she loving whispers to them to ‘do whatever He tells’ (John 2:5).

We pray that the Holy Spirit, the ‘chief agent of evangelisation’, prepares the soil of the hearts of the proclaimers (to respond generously with their time, their respect and their love) as well as those to whom they are sent (that they have a ‘restless’ and open heart) so that they will bear fruit in “hundred fold” (Mark 4:8).

We thank God in faith-filled anticipation that the hills of the Mount will be covered with “beautiful feet of those bringing the good news” (Rom 10:15) as volunteers, counsellors, proclaimers are drawn by the Lord of the Harvest for His glory alone. Mary our Mother, guide our steps as you guided and taught the Child Jesus. May our teachers and proclaimers truly ‘witness to the beauty of the Gospel with the joy of faith’ (Intentions of the Holy Father for the month of September).

All for the Glory of God!

As I pen this few lines to you, on the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus – which I feel is possibly the REAL “Valentine’s Day”, I can indeed feel the surge of love in my heart for my Saviour “who loved me and gave His life for me” (Gal 2:20).

The surge of our hearts, however, must be accompanied by the equal and opposite reaction of our hearts recoiling from sin as we cry the words from the book of Hosea, “My heart recoils within me” when confronted by the thought of ‘going against love’ … which effectively is what sin is.

In the recent past our newspaper and electronic media are buzzing with the news of corruption scandals and fasts. As we reflect on these goings on, and try to discern what the Spirit is saying to us through this, two verses spring out from Scripture;

“You will not let your holy one know corruption” (Ps 16:10)
“Is this the fast that I seek” (Isaiah 58: 5)

While the former Scripture verse refers to bodily corruption, the same can be applied to spiritual corruption as well. If we truly walk in the way of the Lord and yield to His Will then the Holy Spirit shall keep us from all corruption.

The “fast” that the Lord seeks from us, is not only abstinence and fasting from food products, but also one of depriving our ego and starving our pride… so that we can truly be the bread broken for others.

Both these are the essence of the Lord’s Prayer on which we reflect and pray throughout this month. Obedience, flowing out of love, to the Will of God and the readiness to die for love of neighbour, are the two elements that make us “alter Christus (other Christs)”. “On these hang the law and the prophets” (Mt 22:40)

This July, let us therefore, truly make the Lord’s Prayer, “our prayer”… so that the “our” in the “our father” comes alive by the power of His Spirit. So that we have the willingness to fast from elements that the Spirit shows us – my pride, my attitude, my desire to jump to conclusions, my stinginess and lack of charity, my eagerness to rush to judge and condemn others, my criticizing nature, my desire for self-glory, etc.

I urge us all, myself included, to spend a few extra moments each day when you pray, to ask the Holy Spirit to show you the areas of “corruption” in your life that need His burning and purifying love. Pray also for the grace to fast from areas of pride and self; that truly the Lord will “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil’ as we journey on the path to holiness, which is Christ Himself.

May all we do be for the “Greater Glory of God” and may St Ignatius and the other saints whose feasts we celebrate this month, pray for us. Be with us Mary along the way.

Lent 2011

“Let him who is without sin cast the first stone” (John 8:7)

As news swirls all around of corruption, scams and scandals of various hues, I notice myself quickly jumping to judge and condemn. It is so easy to look at the speck, while gingerly dodging the beam in our own eye (Mt 7:3). God’s Word tells us, in what can be viewed as both brutally honest to those in denial and yet calmingly reassuring to those bordering on scrupulosity, that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23).

Sin (‘hamartia’ in Greek) means to miss the mark. Even the best sharpshooters tend to miss the mark sometimes, we falsely reassure ourselves. But our mandate from our Lord is very clear, “Be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect” (Mt 5:48). Perfect 10/10. Bulls-eye.

For this, rigorous training is need. And Grace. In some sense, that sums up ‘Lent’.

As Pope Benedict XVI in his message for Lent 2011 writes, “The Lenten period, which leads us to the celebration of Holy Easter, is for the Church a most valuable and important liturgical time. As she awaits the definitive encounter with her Spouse in the eternal Easter, the Church community, assiduous in prayer and charitable works, intensifies her journey in purifying the spirit, so as to draw more abundantly from the Mystery of Redemption the new life in Christ the Lord.

He chooses for his theme “You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him.”(Col 2: 12) though which he urges us to rediscover our Baptism, so as to renew our acceptance of the Grace that God bestowed upon us at that moment, thus illuminating and guiding all of our actions. He continues, “Through the traditional practices of fasting, almsgiving and prayer, which are an expression of our commitment to conversion, Lent teaches us how to live the love of Christ in an ever more radical way”.

“By rendering our table poorer and by bearing some form of deprivation – and not just what is in excess – fasting, far from being depressing, opens us ever more to God and to the needs of others, thus allowing love of God to become also love of our neighbour (Mk 12: 31). The practice of almsgiving is a reminder of God’s primacy and turns our attention towards others, so that we may rediscover how good our Father is, and receive his mercy. By meditating and internalizing the Word in order to live it every day, we learn a precious and irreplaceable form of prayer; by attentively listening to God, who continues to speak to our hearts, we nourish the itinerary of faith initiated on the day of our Baptism”, he writes.

This month as we focus our prayer and efforts not to “miss the mark”, by leaning on Grace and disciplining ourselves, we pray especially for our youth. As Pope Pius XII said, “The sin of the century is the loss of the sense of sin”.

We pray and fast, for ourselves and our young people, that we move out of the trap of relativism and focus ourselves on the Way, the Truth and the Life. In the words of our beloved Pope, “May our Lenten journey, in which we are invited to contemplate the Mystery of the Cross, reproduce within us “the pattern of his death” (Ph 3: 10), so as to effect a deep conversion in our lives.”

Be Holy!

“…as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; for it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’”

The above exhortation by our first Pope (1 Pet 1:15,16) is the exhortation with which I wish to begin my letter to you this month. We, in the Western India region – Pune, Goa, Mumbai -, have just been treated by the Holy Spirit (thank you, Lord) to a spirit-filled visit by Steve Ray, passionately challenging us to love Christ and His Church, founded upon Peter the rock (Mt 16:18) and reminding us of the primacy of Peter and his successors… and the need to love and obey them.

And here is St Peter, in 1Pet 1:15-16, reminding us of our calling… to be holy. We began 2011 by reminding and recommitting ourselves to our sanctification – our City, our community, our families, ourselves. This month too we continue to pray that our lives be built on the rock. As we focus our prayer on ‘building’ on the rock, we also pray this month for the property / housing aspect of our brethren in Mumbai – those homeless and those harassed by land-grabbers, corruption, etc.

So many of our community are losing their sleep, peace, health, time and money in property-related matters; daily in court, often fighting cases against their own ‘blood’. May they seek first the kingdom of the Price of Peace. In our endeavour for holiness, the writer to the Hebrews reminds us to “Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” (Heb 12:14). May we strive to build our lives on Jesus Christ the rock (1 Cor 10:4).

February is known, especially by the young, as the month of Valentine’s Day. Let us make full use of this month to fall once again in love with Jesus and His Word. Let us this month celebrate VD – not Valentine’s Day, but Verbum Domini, the recently published post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation (note, we began this letter with an exhortation to holiness by our first Pope and the same theme continues by our present one), on the Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church.

Let each of us, to the best extent possible, get hold of a copy of this wonderful ‘love letter’ by our Holy Father and fall more in love with The Word of the Lord (Verbum Domini). The Word of God assures us that “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.” (Mt 7:24) May we build the foundation of our families, our careers and our ministries on the rock of the Word of God.

Verbum Domini (#85) specifically refers to marriage and families and states that “the word of God is at the very origin of marriage (Gen 2:24 & Mt 19:4-8)”. It continues, “The great mystery of marriage is the source of the essential responsibility of parents towards their children… Spouses, through a love which is faithful, reciprocal and fruitful, are the first to proclaim God’s word to their children. To this end the Synod urged that every household have its Bible, to be kept in a worthy place and used for reading and prayer.” We pray especially this month for families, even with small kids, to build their relationships on the Word, by re-discovering, sharing and praying the Word, through a variety of traditional as well as creative methods, including lectio divina, imaginative prayer, skits etc.

I conclude with the same words that Pope Benedict XVI concludes Verbum Domini “May every day of our lives be shaped by a renewed encounter with Christ”.

A Magnificent way to start the year!

My Soul exults in the Lord, And my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour…
For the Mighty One has done great things for me, And holy is his name

Mary’s magnificat (Lk 1:46-49) gives us a wonderful disposition with which to start the New Year. An attitude of praise and gratitude. And a true and deep understanding of our identity and purpose ‘in Christ’.

“First of all, I have no hesitation in saying that all pastoral initiatives must be set in relation to holiness.” The words of our earlier Holy Father at the start of the New Millennium continue to ring true as we commence our New Year. Pope John Paul II stresses “the call to holiness” as “an intrinsic and essential aspect”. He continues in his Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte, “This is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thes 4:3). It is a duty which concerns not only certain Christians: All the Christian faithful, of whatever state or rank, are called to the fullness of the Christian life and to the perfection of charity. “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt. 5:48). This ideal of perfection must not be misunderstood as if it involved some kind of extraordinary existence, possible only for a few “uncommon heroes” of holiness. The ways of holiness are many, according to the vocation of each individual. The time has come to re-propose wholeheartedly to everyone this high standard of ordinary Christian living.” (NMI #30,31)

It is towards this end that our intercession this month focuses on praying with renewed fervour for our sanctification. And not only for ourselves, but also that of our communities, our land and our Church. Let us, as intercessors, humbly and boldly take our place, lest the Lord say, “And I sought for anyone among them who would … stand in the breach before me on behalf of the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.” (Ez. 22:30)

We also wish to take this opportunity to sincerely appreciate each one of you and your continued zeal for intercession. Month-on-month we are edified by your enthusiasm and the feedback we get. Many are going through ‘the valley’ but the grace of God continues to ‘lift our heads’ (Ps 3:3). As we ‘labour’ in prayer for our Church – this month with the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and the Catholic Apologetics Programs – we know that our ‘labour is not in vain’ (1 Cor 15:58).

Pope John Paul II continues, “This training in holiness calls for a Christian life distinguished above all in the art of prayer.” (NMI#32) “Our Christian communities must become genuine “schools” of prayer, where the meeting with Christ is expressed not just in imploring help but also in thanksgiving, praise, adoration, contemplation, listening and ardent devotion, until the heart truly “falls in love”.

How grateful we are to the Holy Spirit, our sanctifier, who has inspired the Church to begin every New Year honouring Mary–the Mother of God. A model of holiness and prayer. May her blessings and prayers be with us throughout this year as we ‘press on’ (Phil 3:12) to ‘sanctify ourselves’ confident that ‘tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among’ us (Joshua 3:5). Let us boldly say “I know not what my future holds, but I know Who holds my future.” Wish you a Holy New Year ahead.

Year End Musings

As I sit to write this year’s last letter on a day which many celebrate as Thanksgiving Day, my mind rejoices with the psalmist who says “I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart” (Ps 138:1). Indeed there is so much to praise and thank God for, as we come to the end of this year.

Some interesting thoughts come to mind: For a finite year we thank an infinite God, for a year coming to an end we thank a God who is from everlasting to everlasting (Ps 103:17), as the year becomes ‘old’, our God’s mercies are ever new (Lam 3:23). How blessed we are! Halleluiah!!!

“Behold, I make all things new” (Rev 21:5) our Lord assures us, as we come to the end of the old year. We pray for a renewed heart and renewed spirit (Ps 51:10), a renewed mind (Rom 12:2) and renewed bodies. In addition, this month, we pray for a renewed sense of responsibility as citizens; both as citizens of heaven (Phil 3:20) as well citizens of our planet Earth.

Pope Benedict XVI’s opened this year 2010 by choosing the theme: If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation.As we come to the end of this year, it is for each of us, especially those in Mumbai where the Archdiocese has adopted the theme ‘Care for Creation’, to examine our role in this regard. To the 3 Rs of ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’ our Pope adds a fourth, ‘Respect’.

“Respect for creation is of immense consequence”. Our Pope continues “Man’s inhumanity to man has given rise to numerous threats to peace - wars, acts of terrorism, and violations of human rights. Yet no less troubling are the threats arising from the neglect – if not downright misuse – of the earth and the natural goods that God has given us. For this reason, it is imperative that mankind renew and strengthen “that covenant between human beings and the environment, which should mirror the creative love of God, from whom we come and towards whom we are journeying””.

This month as we celebrate the birth of the firstborn of all creation (Col.1:15) we bring to the manger our promise to respect creation. How amazing that He, through whom and for whom all things in heaven and on earth were created (Col.1:16), chose to be born in an ‘eco-friendly’ manner – a cave for his shelter, straw for his bed, animals for company, the night sky with the bright star overhead. May we too uncomplicate our Christmas celebrations.

Santa Claus didn’t die on the cross for us. May we always remember that Jesus is the reason for the season. May we, in this season of giving, celebrate Him who sent us His Son (John 3:16), celebrate Him who emptied Himself (Phil 2:7) and celebrate Him who gives us a variety of gifts (1 Cor 12:4).

O Come let us adore Him. Christ the Lord. Happy Christmas and a Blessed New Year.

The Lord be with you… (and you say?)

The Lord be with you.

And before we mechanically say in our minds, “And also with you”, I would like you (and me) to pause and reflect on these words we hear so very often.

Do we realize the importance of these words? Or are we become so numbed by the pressures of the day and the noises around us, that instead of having goose-bumps every time we hear these words, we rattle off our response like a well-rehearsed formula.

“The Lord is with you” (Lk 1:28) said the angel to Mary. And the process of the greatest miracle in history began when Mary replied with her ‘FIAT’ (yes). Another recent “miracle” reminded us of the power of ‘God with us’.

Yes, the term “miracle” was used liberally, the world over, by the so-called ‘secular’ media when they reported the rescue of the trapped miners from the Copiapo mines in Chile. Amidst fireworks and flags and banners and buntings and noise and gaiety one could not miss the presence of the clasped hands, the clutched rosaries, the pictures of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the well-worn Bibles, the quick signs of the cross, the bended knees, the T-shirts carrying in bold letters ‘gracias, senor’ (thank you, Lord). All this in full glare of the world-wide media (one channel alone reported over 7 million viewers). All well summed up in the words of one of the 33 miners when they were still trapped, “There are actually 34 of us, because God has never left us down here.”

How wonderfully reassuring to know that God is with us, He never leaves us or forsakes us (Deut 31:6). Even in our deepest, darkest moments he is there (Ps 23:4). In the case of the Chilean miners the outcome was jubilant; in some cases the end-result seems cruel, harsh, unbearable, tragic. The true miracle is in the journey… where He walks with us. In our joys and in our sorrows, He is with us. Emmanuel (Isaiah 7:14, Mt 1:23).

As we, this month, enter into the liturgical new year of the Church with the season on Advent, may we be alive and alert to His presence in our lives. He is with us. He walks with us. He dwells in us. In all His greatness, splendour and majesty (Psalm 104:1,2), the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, abides (Jn 15:5) with His people.

This month as we celebrate the feast of Christ the Universal King, let us truly make Him the king of our hearts, our lives and our homes.

May the Lordship of Jesus and the establishment of His kingdom be our hearts greatest desire and may the Holy Spirit our helper (Jn 14:26) help us to make it a reality.

Musings from Staten Island

There she stood magnificent and glorious. At the gateway to the city which is arguably the gateway to the world. The lady ‘who never sleeps’ watching over ‘the city that never sleeps’. I still can vividly see in my mind’s eye the image during my visit to New York a couple of weeks ago when I paid a visit to the lady. With the symbol of hope in her hand – hope for a hurting and hopeless world.

And yet all eyes were focused on the lady across the river.

While thousands, in fact millions, visit the lady with the torch a.k.a. the Statue of Liberty, there was not a single visitor at the time I paid a visit to the church of Our Lady of the Rosary across the street from the Staten Island ferry terminal. Granted it was an odd hour of the day but the contrast was indeed dramatic; at that very hour hundreds were pouring into ferries / cruises to marvel at one of the most universal symbols of Freedom and Democracy, while the lady that gave birth to the ‘One Who sets us absolutely free’, often goes unnoticed.

The month of October is indeed a blessed month – a month dedicated to praying for the Missions as well as the month of the Holy Rosary. Pope Paul VI was abundantly clear and direct, saying “To evangelize is the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her profound identity” (Evangelium Nuntiandi, no. 14).

And so this month we pray for missions and missionaries all over the world, especially for the land of the Americas (Canada, USA and Mexico) – the land that is at the forefront of global economic and political power; a land in a position of tremendous influence and yet increasingly gripped by a culture of death.

We pray though the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patroness of the Americas and the patroness of the pro-life movement. And providentially we are not the only ones praying for the Americas at this time. During these months, culminating on Dec 12th the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a group known as the Knights of Columbus are conducting ‘the running of the rose’, wherein three silver roses (representing the prayers and devotion of the people of Canada, USA and Mexico) will be carried across the length and breadth of the Americas. This year there are 3 roses travelling simultaneously starting in Ontario and then travelling on the west coast, central United States and the east coast. All three roses will meet at the same time in Texas to travel over the International Bridge and thereon to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. May Mary unite all our prayers that America desires and comes under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

We also remember in our prayer, missionaries in our own motherland and pray for those who are persecuted for their faith in Christ. We pray of ourselves that we transformed by the ‘renewal of our minds’ (Rom 12:2), as each one of us, who are baptised, is called to be a proclaimer of the Good News – by our words and more importantly by our very lives. May St Teresa, patroness of missions, be an example of joyfully offering our ‘ordinary’ daily lives for the Gospel.

We also gratefully thank the Holy Spirit, the chief agent of evangelisation, for the graces rained down on all the pilgrims He ministered to through the volunteers at the Proclamation Outreach at Mount Mary’s Basilica. What marvels the Lord worked for us; indeed we are glad. (Ps 125:3). Praise you, O Lord of the Harvest.

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