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2008 International Goan Convention
Toronto, Canada
Early Bird Discount Registration closes March 31, 2008
http://2008goanconvention.com/registration.html
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19-Mar-2008
Dear Friend,
It is said, "While there is life there is hope!" Easter is the confirmation
and celebration of hope in life and even beyond life that gives meaning to our
entire existence. We see this in nature, as even the darkest night is the
threshold of a new dawn; the seed is buried before a new shoot comes forth, and
spring heralds the end of winter. Unfortunately, we live in a culture of
violence and death and the media announces only bad news. The believer is
called to live in a culture of life and be life-giving! The risen Jesus gives
us the hope of new life. Have a 'Joyous Easter' celebrating the gift of new
life and new hope for all! Fr. Jude
Sunday Reflections: Easter Sunday He has Risen! Hope for the World!
23-Mar-2008
Readings: Acts 10: 34. 37-43; Corinthians 5: 6-8; John
20:1- 9;
Today's first reading from the Acts contains Peter's proclamation of the
central mystery of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, which he
delivered in the house of Cornelius, which led to the conversion of the whole
household. In a few words Peter summarizes the public life of Jesus ending with
the death and resurrection. Peter briefly and simply shares what he has
personally witnessed of the death and resurrection without arguing or defending
what he believes. The truth needs no defense. Peter is able to boldly give his
witness to the truth, unmindful of he consequences, because he is empowered by
the resurrection of the Lord. Peter emphasizes that he and a select few were
witnesses of the resurrection and so they can go forth and preach the good news
to all peoples. The Risen Lord continues to be with his church and with his
disciples and this is the greatest proof of the resurrection.
- Let the Gospels go through you!
Many years ago, one evening in northern Virginia in the USA, a bearded old man
waited for a ride across the river. The frigid north winds left the old man
stiff and shivering. Eventually he heard the sound of horses galloping and
watched anxiously as several horsemen rounded the bend. He let several of them
pass and as the last ride drew near, the old man caught the rider's eye and
said, "Sir, would you mind giving an old man a ride to the other side?" The
horseman immediately obliged and took him not only to the other side but also
to his destination a few miles away. Before he departed the rider said to the
old man, "I'm curious about one thing. There were several horsemen ahead of me
but you did not request them to help you. I was the last. What if I refused?"
The old man replied, "Experience has made me a good judge of people. I looked
into the eyes of the others and found no concern for my situation. In your
eyes, kindness and compassion were
evident. I knew that your gentle spirit would welcome the opportunity to give
me assistance in my time of need." The horseman bade the old man farewell and
returned - to the white House. He was President Thomas Jefferson! - Go through
the Gospels, but please don't stop there, let the gospels go through you: and
everyone who comes in contact with you is bound to find kindness and compassion
in you!
Percival Fernandez in '100 Inspiring Anecdotes'
In the second reading Paul uses imagery from the kitchen to emphasise the point
he wishes to make. We know from experience that just a little bit of yeast is
enough to leaven all the dough. Paul asks us to get rid of the old yeast so
that we can make fresh bread. The Easter call is to newness and freshness and
this is possible only if we get rid of sin and the effects of sin in our lives
and let Jesus transform our lives. We can become the unleavened bread by living
lives of sincerity and truth.
- Only a trifle
The great sculptor Michelangelo was at work on one of his exquisite statues
when a friend of his called on him. He said, " I can't see any difference in
the statue since I came here over a week ago. Have you not been doing any work
all the week?" "Yes," said Michelangelo, and pointing his finger at various
sections of the statue he was working on, continued, "I have retouched this
part, softened this feature, strengthened this muscle, and put more life into
that limb." "But those are only trifles," said the friend. "True," said
Michelangelo, "but trifles make perfection, and perfection is no trifle!" -The
smallest sin can ruin our lives and the tiniest good deed can merit us
salvation.
Anonymous
The Easter Sunday Gospel starts with Mary of Magdala at the crack of dawn, on
the first day of the week going and finding the tomb empty. She arrives at
dawn, the first witness of a new dawn, a new beginning, the resurrection. But
it is still dark. Symbolically, she cannot see, and is not expecting the risen
Lord, she has come to mourn the dead, to perform a ritual, she comes out of
love and that is the beginning of a new drama of which she is a faithful
witness. She brings the sad news to Peter and John. "They have taken the Lord
out of the tomb" she said "and we don't know where they have put him." The
Easter gospel starts not on a joyous note, but on a note of loss. Even when
Peter and John, listening to Mary race to the tomb, they have no expectation of
meeting the risen Lord. What they see is an empty tomb and they enter into the
empty tomb. What do they see? The gospel makes no reference to the glorious
vision of the risen Lord but to seemingly
inconsequential and irrelevant things. The Gospel tells us that they saw "the
linen clothes on the ground and the cloth that had been over his head...rolled
up in a place by itself." What they saw was nothing extraordinary, nothing
spectacular, but the Gospel says, "They saw and they believed." This is the
challenge of faith, this is the challenge of the resurrection, 'to see with
eyes of faith and believe." Their faith was based not on seeing the risen Lord
face to face, which they would later on, but on believing in his word. The last
line of today's gospel adds, "Till this moment they had failed to understand
the teaching of the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead."
- Do not be afraid!
Some years ago, seven Jesuit priests were murdered in cold blood by Government
forces in El Salvador, and thrown into a common grave. With great courage, a
group of priests and nuns, together with some poverty-stricken Christians for
whom the fathers had worked, and because of which, in fact, they were gunned
down, exhumed the corpses. That night they had a prayer vigil in the open air.
They prayed around the coffins the whole night. One of the Jesuits later
described the event. "Just before the first light, we closed the coffins and
carried the bodies in candle light procession to be buried. We came away as
dawn was breaking with a strange joy and peace. We knew that in spite of the
senseless cruelty and horror of the massacre Christ was being reborn in our
hearts because we were poor enough to acknowledge our own insufficiency". -Who
can experience the joy and peace of the risen Jesus? Only those who have gone
through the painful experience of their
own sinfulness, and acknowledge it with a contrite heart, will.
Denis Pereira in 'All Times and All Seasons Belong to Him'
'Easter Proclamation'
"The Easter proclamation is not simply a happy ending to a tragic story. It
captures the unending rhythm of confrontation with suffering and death
transformed into life. The women were seeking not Jesus the teacher, but 'the
crucified one', and heard that death could not contain him. These women,
faithful followers and heralds of the resurrection, have many brothers and
sisters today who nurture a culture of love and joy in the face of death.
Fundamentally, such people believe that death is not the meaningless end of
life, but the door to fullness of life with the risen Christ, who in his
transformed humanity remains one of us, wounded and transformed. They are those
Christians whose fear does not lead to a distortion of the truth but to joyful
proclamation, and who enact the gospel of joy and life in their daily lives.
The women ran from the door of death to proclaim the word of life. Shall we
follow?"
John Donahue in 'Hearing the Word of God'
"Easter has relevance for today, not only because it offers the world a true
way of life with the assurance of the resurrection of the body after we are
dead, but also because it offers to all believers the hope of new life here and
now. For example, every time we suffer a loss, fail in some enterprise or are
disabled by some illness, we die a little bit; but if we believe in the
presence of the risen Jesus in our midst, we will discover new dreams to
pursue, new challenges to take on and new reason to try again. Every time we
are overwhelmed by problems, discouraged by disappointments or beset by
worries, we are diminished in some way. But if we believe in the real presence
of the risen Christ, we will find that the impossible becomes possible and the
unreachable becomes reachable. If the risen Christ is not relevant for us
today, to whom would we go to discover the radiance of the face of God? Why
should we come together seeking his communion? If the
risen Christ is not relevant today, where can we find forgiveness, the
wellspring of a new beginning? Where would we draw the energy for following him
right to the end of our existence? Christ has risen so that we might meet him
today and in heaven; Christ has come forth from the tomb that we might shake
off the fetters of evil today and forever." -Vima Dasan in 'His Word Lives'
May we encounter the risen Lord today and experience the resurrection in us!
Fr. Jude Botelho
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
PS. The stories, incidents and anecdotes used in the reflections have been
collected over the years from books as well as from sources over the net and
from e-mails received. Every effort is made to acknowledge authors whenever
possible. If you send in stories or illustrations I would be grateful if you
could quote the source as well so that they can be acknowledged if used in
these reflections. These reflections are also available on my web site
www.netforlife.net Thank you.
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