Vol. XII No. 4 Oct. - Dec Religious Relations with the Jews Implementing the Conciliar Declaration Nostra Aetate (No 4)

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1 D I A L O G U E Vol. XII No. 4 Oct. - Dec Born in Bethlehem in a Jewish Home Fr. Aniceto Pereira 2 Editorial 2. We are all brothers Pope Francis 4 Address at the Inter Religious th Audience in commemoration of the 50 Anniversary of Nostra Aetate 3. Introductory Note to the Pontifical Commission for 8 Guidelines and Suggestions for Religious Relations with the Jews Implementing the Conciliar Declaration Nostra Aetate (No 4) 4. The Demographic Profile of Religious Fr. S.M. Michael SVD 10 Communities in India According to the 2011 Census 5. Christmas: God Abides with Human Beings Sr. Vandana Francis FHIC 13 Inter-Religious Christmas Gathering ef eâmceme keâer ØeeLe&vee meyee heer. Skeäme. mjeeceer Happy Christmas And A Prosperous New Year The Bombay Archdiocesan Commission for Inter-Religious Dialogue President : Cardinal Oswald Gracias Secretary : Fr. Aniceto Pereira Office Add. : St. Andrews Educational Foundation Trust, St. Dominic Road, Bandra, Mumbai Telephone : Website : irdbom@gmail.com Members : Dr. (Mrs) Valerie D Souza, Prosper D Souza, Ernest Fernandes, John Misquitta, Silvie Joseph, Noella Colaco, Maria Pinto, Rita Pereira and Joseph Gaikwad Admin Assts. : Marie D Souza, Thelma Cardoz Printed at : Ganesh Offset, Dadar, Mumbai Tel.:

2 Editorial BORN IN BETHLEHEM IN A JEWISH HOME Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus! And the unique way in which it happened. Jesus was born to Mary (a Jewish woman) and Joseph (his Jewish foster father) in a stable in Bethlehem of Judah! No doubt therefore that Jesus was born a Jew. Thirty three years later Jesus would die in Jerusalem at the hands of the Jews. And when his disciples felt empowered by his resurrection to continue his legacy, although they began by using the Jewish temple and the synagogue as a locus for ministry, they soon realized they had to let go off their Jewish moorings and move on as the Holy Spirit guided them. It would not be wrong to compare this process to that of a child being weaned away from its mother.with the emotions in the hearts of both mother and child interweaving into a complex game of love and pain. As the Christians weaned themselves away into a separate identity, they had to figure out how this new community would articulate its link to its Jewish roots. They found it difficult to forget that Jesus died at the hands of the Jews, and, focusing on their growing awareness that Jesus was divine, accused the Jews of killing God.They were not willing to accept that Judaism recognized Jesus as prophet but not as Son of God. Christianity concluded that this marked a total rejection of Jesus by the very community (Jews) in which Jesus was born! Over the centuries this rejection on the part of Judaism was to lead to a growing antagonism between Judaism & Christianity. It led to the idea of supercessionism, (a type of substitution theology). This strain of thought evoked images of the Jewish God as the wrathful God of a religion dominated by legalism. Then comes Jesus, replacing the Old Testament God with the God of love in the New Testament. Such teaching was to highlight the virtues of Christianity against the Jewish faith, making it impossible to acknowledge the great debt Christianity owed to Judaism. th The Holocaust experience in the 20 century was to become a turning point for Christians, not only to understand their relationship with the Jewish faith, but also with other world religions. It was during the Pontificate of Pius XII that the Church was required to take a stand, as a community of disciples of Christ, on the issue of Jews being persecuted just for being Jewish, the original community into which Jesus himself was born! Those who accused the Jews of having a hand in killing God were to find it difficult to defend themselves of the accusation of having a hand in killing Jews. Even if the tragedy of the Holocaust was not an initiative of the Church, was it perhaps linked to the demonization of the Jews by Christians in ostensibly Christian lands? To date this remains a controversial chapter in the history of the Church. Just before the Second Vatican Council, the Church turned a new page, under the leadership of Pope St. John XXIII. After his personal experiences in World War II and the Holocaust, Pope St. John XXIII was able to be sensitive to what Jules Isaac, the Jewish Sammelan XII - 4 : Oct. - Dec

3 historian and Holocaust survivor, highlighted about this teaching of contempt at their historic 1960 meeting. He thus felt called to redress the wrongs committed by Christianity throughout the ages in widespread preaching that Jews were a people rejected by God and condemned to eternal wandering for their socalled crime of deicide (killing God). This soul searching reflection was to bear fruit at the Second Vatican Council, through the Declaration Nostra Aetate promulgated by th Pope Paul VI on 28 October Nostra Aetate addressed most of the issues that Jules Isaac brought to the attention of St. John XXIII, says Rabbi Bemporad, Director of the John Paul II C e n t e r a n d P r o f e s s o r o f I n t e r r e l i g i o u s S t u d i e s a t t h e A n g e l i c u m ( P o n t i f i c a l University of St. Thomas Aquinas). Pope Roncalli, has been honoured a s o n e o f t h e R i g h t e o u s a t Jerusalem s Yad Vashem for having personally intervened to help save thousands of Jewish lives when he was Apostolic Delegate in Turkey and Greece. He felt truly distressed that the Catholic Church s widespread teaching of contempt had produced a kind of apathy leading to insufficient action among many Christians when Jews were persecuted by Nazis. The Church is therefore celebrating the golden jubilee of this path-breaking document, Nostra Aetate. It is perhaps salutary that the Church had to rework its soured relationship with the Jewish faith as a first step, and then move into a frame of mind that would help recast its relationship with other religions as well. By institutionalizing a new respect for the Jewish faith in Catholicism, it effectively also helped to create a more positive and trustworthy image of Christianity (and other religions) in the Jewish psyche, after suffering centuries of strife and persecutions. That was to be the over-arching impact of Nostra Aetate. Nostra Aetate may have been indeed a landmark document. But the engagement of the Church in inter-religious relations has still to come main-stream. It cannot be driven only by the nature of the environment in which the Church finds itself, as a m i n o r i t y o f t e n surrounded by not so friendly cultures (cf: the article by Fr. S.M. Michael SVD, interpreting the 2011 Census data). A refusal to give importance to inter religious dialogue could actually amount to a denial of those pages of the history of the Church in which the disciples of Christ have not really loved everyone as Christ has loved. The year of mercy that th commences on the 8 of December 2015 should be able to provide the sense of urgency with which the Church needs to engage in interreligious dialogue activity, and seize the opportunity to make amends. Fr. Aniceto Pereira Sammelan XII - 4 : Oct. - Dec

4 WE ARE ALL BROTHERS And we must walk together taking care of each other and creation! With representatives of the world s various religions, Pope Francis commemorated the 50th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the Council s Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non- Christian Religions. The following is the Holy Father s address which was given during the General Audience in St Peter s Square on Wednesday,28 October 2015 Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning! At the General Audiences there are often people or groups who belong to other religions; but today this presence is of particular importance, because we can remember together the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of the Second Vatican Council Nostra Aetate on the Relation of the Catholic Church to Non-Christian Religions. This subject was dear to the heart of Bl. Pope Paul VI, who on the Feast of Pentecost the year before the close of the Council, had established the Secretariat for non-christians, today called the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. For this reason I express my gratitude and my warm welcome to the people and groups of various religions, who today have wished to attend, especially to those who have come from afar. prayer which aimed to renew the gaze of the Catholic Church on herself and on the world. A reading of the signs of the times in view of an update oriented by a twofold faithfulness: faithfulness to the ecclesial tradition and faithfulness to the history of the men and women of our time. In fact God, who revealed himself in creation and in history, who spoke through the prophets and comprehensively through his Son made man (cf. Heb 1:1), speaks to the heart and to the spirit of every human being who seeks the truth and how to practice it. The Second Vatican Council was an extraordinary time of reflection, dialogue and Sammelan XII - 4 : Oct. - Dec

5 The message of the Declaration Nostra Aetate is always timely. Let us briefly recall a few of its points: the growing interdependence of peoples (cf. n. 1); the human search for the meaning of life, of suffering, of death, questions which always accompany our journey (cf. n. 1); the common origin and the common destiny of humanity (cf. n. 1); the uniqueness of the human family (cf. n. 1.); religions as the search for God or of the Absolute, within our various ethnicities and cultures (cf. n. 1); the benevolent and attentive gaze of the Church on religions: she rejects nothing that is beautiful and true in them (cf. n. 2); the Church regards with esteem the believers of all religions, appreciating their spiritual and moral commitment (cf. n. 3); the Church, open to dialogue with all, is at the same time faithful to the truths in which she believes, beginning with the truth that the salvation offered to everyone has its origin in Jesus, the One Saviour, and that the Holy Spirit is at work, as a font of peace and love. years, that it is difficult to recall them all. A particularly meaningful event was the meeting in Assisi on 27 October It was willed and sponsored by St John Paul II, who the year before, thus 30 years ago, addressing the Muslim youth in Casablanca, hoped that all believers in God would favour friendship and unity between men and peoples (19 August 1985). The flame, lit in Assisi, has spread throughout the world and is a permanent sign of hope. Deserving of special gratitude to God is the veritable transformation of Christian- Jewish relations in these 50 years. Indifference and opposition have changed into cooperation and benevolence. From enemies and strangers we have become friends and brothers. The Council, with the Declaration Nostra Aetate, has indicated the way: yes to rediscovering Christianity s Jewish roots; no to every form of anti-semitism and blame for every wrong, discrimination and persecution deriving from it. Knowledge, respect and esteem for one another are the way. Indeed, if this applies in a particular way to relations with Jews, it likewise applies to relationships with other religions as well. I am thinking in particular of Muslims, who as the Council recalls worship God, who is one, living and subsistent, merciful and almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, who has also spoken to men (Nostra Aetate, n. 3). They acknowledge There have been so many events, initiatives, institutional or personal relationships with the non-christian religions in these last 50 Sammelan XII - 4 : Oct. - Dec

6 Abraham s paternity, venerate Jesus as a prophet, honour his virgin Mother, Mary, await the day of judgment, and practice prayer, almsgiving and fasting (cf. ibid.). The dialogue that we need cannot but be open and respectful, and thus prove fruitful. Mutual respect is the condition and, at the same time, the aim of interreligious dialogue: respecting others right to life, to physical integrity, to fundamental freedoms, namely freedom of conscience, of thought, of expression and of religion. The world, looking to us believers, exhorts us to cooperate amongst ourselves and with the men and women of good will who profess no religion, asking us for effective responses regarding numerous issues: peace, hunger, the poverty that afflicts millions of people, the environmental crisis, violence, especially that committed in the name of religion, corruption, moral decay, the crisis of the family, of the economy, of finance, and especially of hope. We believers have no recipe for these problems, but we have one great resource: prayer. We believers pray. We must pray. Prayer is our treasure, from which we draw according to our respective traditions, to request the gifts that humanity longs for. Because of violence and terrorism an attitude of suspicion or even condemnation of religions has spread. In reality, although no religion is immune to the risk of deviations of a fundamentalist or extremist nature in individuals or groups (cf. Address to the United States Congress, 24 September 2015), it is necessary to look to the positive values that religions live and propound, and that are sources of hope. It is a matter of raising our gaze in order to go further. Dialogue based on confident respect can bring seeds of good that in their turn may bud into friendship and cooperation in many fields, especially in service to the poor, to the least, to the elderly, through welcoming migrants, and attention to those who are excluded. We can walk together taking care of one another and of creation. All believers of every religion. Together we can praise the Creator for giving us the garden of the world to till and keep as a common good, and we can achieve shared plans to overcome poverty and to ensure to every man and woman the conditions for a dignified life. The Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, which is before us, is a propitious occasion to work together in the field of the works of charity. In this field, where compassion counts above all else, we may be joined by many people who are not believers or who are in search of God and of the Truth, people who place at the centre the face of another person, in particular the face of a needy brother or sister. The mercy to which we are called embraces all of creation, which God entrusted to us so that we keep it, not exploit it or worse still, destroyit. We must always seek to leave the world better than we found it (cf. Encyclical Laudato Si, n. 194), beginning with the environment in which we live, and the small gestures of our daily life. Sammelan XII - 4 : Oct. - Dec

7 Dear brothers and sisters, as for the future of interreligious dialogue, the first thing we have to do is pray, and pray for one another: we are brothers and sisters! Without the Lord, nothing is possible; with Him, everything becomes so! May our prayer each one according to his or her own tradition adhere fully to the will of God, who wants all men and women to recognize they are brothers and sisters and live as such, forming the great human family in the harmony of diversity. Special greetings: I address a cordial welcome to Italian-speaking pilgrims. On the Feast Day of Sts Simon and Jude, I hope that the memory of the Apostles, first witnesses of the Gospel, may increase faith and encourage charity. I offer a special thought to young people, to the sick and to newlyweds. At the end of the month of October let us invoke Mary, Mother of Jesus. Dear young people, learn to pray to her with the simple and effective prayer of the Rosary; dear sick people, may Our Lady be your support in the trial of pain; dear newlyweds, emulate her love for God and for brothers and sisters. Now, to conclude this Audience, I invite everyone, each one on his or her own, to pray in silence. May each one do so according to his or her own religious tradition. Let us ask the Lord to make us more brotherly and sisterly among ourselves, and more ready to serve our needier brothers and sisters. Let us pray in silence. [Silent prayer] May God bless us, every one! Sammelan XII - 4 : Oct. - Dec

8 INTRODUCTORY NOTE TO THE GUIDELINES AND SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPLEMENTING THE CONCILIAR DECLARATION NOSTRA AETATE (N. 4) Commission For Religious Relations With The Jews The document is published over the signature of Cardinal Willebrands, in his capacity as President of the new Commission for the Catholic Church s religious relations with the Jews, instituted by Paul VI on 22 October It comes out a short time after the ninth anniversary of the promulgation of Nostra Aetate, the Second Vatican Council s Declaration on the Church s relations with non-christian religious. The Guidelines and Suggestions, which refer to n. 4 of the Declaration, are notable for their almost exclusively practical nature and for their sobriety. This deliberately practical nature of the text is justified by the fact that it concerns a pragmatic document. It does not propose a Christian theology of Judaism. Such a theology certainly has an interest for specialist research and reflection, but it still needs considerable study. The new Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews should be able to play a part in the gradual fruition of this endeavour. The first part of the Document recalls the principal teachings of the Council on the condemnation of antisemitism and of all discrimination, and the obligation of reciprocal understanding and of renewed mutual esteem. It also hopes for a better knowledge on the part of Christians of the essence of the religious tradition of Judaism and of the manner in which Jews identify themselves. The text then proposes a series of concrete suggestions. The section dedicated to dialogue calls for fraternal dialogue and the establishment of deep doctrinal research. Prayer in common is also proposed as a means of encounter. With regard to the liturgy, mention is made of the links between the Christian liturgy and the Jewish liturgy and of the caution which is needed in dealing with commentaries on biblical texts, and with liturgical explanations and translations. The part concerning teaching and education allows the relations between the two Testaments to be made clear. The question of the trial and death of Jesus is also touched upon asid stress is laid on the note of expectation which characterizes both the Jewish and the Christian religion. Specialists are invited to conduct serious research and the establishment of chairs of Hebrew studies is encouraged where it is possible, as well as collaboration with Jewish scholars. The final section deals with the possibilities of common social action in the context of a search for social justice and for peace. Sammelan XII - 4 : Oct. - Dec

9 The conclusion touches on, among other things, the ecumenical aspect of the problem of relations with Judaism, the initiatives of local churches in this area, and the essential lines of the mission of the new Commission instituted by the Holy See. The great sobriety of the text is noted also in the concrete suggestions which it puts forward. But it would certainly be wrong to interpret such sobriety as being indicative of a limiting programme of activities. The document does propose limited suggestions for some key sectors, but it is a document meant for the universal Church, and as such it cannot take account of all the individual situations. The suggestions put forward are intended to give ideas to those who were asking themselves how to start on a local level that dialogue which the text invites them to begin and to develop. These suggestions are mentioned because of their value as examples. They are made because it seems that they could find ample application and that their proposal at the same time constitutes an apt programme for aiding local churches to organize their own activities, in order to harmonize with the general, movement of the universal Church in dialogue with Judaism. The Document can be considered from a certain point of view as the Commission s first step for the realization of religious relations with Judaism. It will devolve on the new Commission to prepare and put forward, when necessary, the further developments which may seem necessary in order that the initiative of the Second Vatican Council in this important area may continue to bear fruit on a local and on a worldwide level, for the benefit of peace of heart and harmony of spirit of all who work under the protection of the one Almighty God. The Document, which gives the invitation to an effort of mutual understanding and collaboration, coincides with the opening of the Holy Year, which is consecrated to the theme of reconciliation. It is impossible not to perceive in such a coincidence an invitation to study and to apply in concrete terms throughout the whole world the suggestions which the Document proposes. Likewise one cannot fail to hope that our Jewish brothers too may find in it useful indications for their participation in a commitment which is common. As we enter into the Year of Mercy Inter-Religious Dialogue Cells are urged to study this Introductory Note as well as the full text of the Guidelines Sammelan XII - 4 : Oct. - Dec

10 THE DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES IN INDIA ACCORDING TO THE 2011 CENSUS TOWARDS AN INTERPRETATION Introduction Once in ten years the Indian Government conducts the Census, a major mega project to understand the demographic profile of the Indian Union for various social, cultural and welfare planning activities. The last Census was conducted in Though the results were ready more than a year ago, the releasing of the data got delayed according to many observers due to political considerations. Just at the verge of Bihar elections, the Census 2011 data on Population by Religious Communities was released by the Registrar General of India th on 25 August This gives us the latest official information about the demographic profile of religious population of India. Religious Composition of India The following is the religious composition of India according to 2011 Census: Total population = crores Not stated their religion = 0.29 % Religion Percentage Population Change in demography Hindus 79.8 % crore declined by 0.7 % in the decade 2001 to 2011 Muslims % crore Increase by 0.8 % Christians 2.3% 2.78 crore remains the same Sikhs 1.7% 2.08 crore declined by 0.2 % Buddhists 0.7% crore declined by 0.1 % Jains 0.4% 0.45 crore remains the same Other religions 0.8% 0.79 crore Change in Population Trends The Census Report of 2011 confirms the overall declining trend in the population growth rate in the country. When we compare the religious composition of India from its previous Census, a decade ago in 2001, we see the following trends in the 2011 Census: The growth rate of total population was 17.7%. Among this, the decadal growth rate of Hindus is 16.8%; the Muslim was 24.6%. Christians, during this period grew by 15.5%, Sikhs by 8.4%. Jains by 5.4% and Buddhists by 6.1%. Those stating other religions and persuasions grew by 19.6% in the 10 years preceding Significantly, the number who did not state their religion went up by 294% between 2001 and The share of Hindus in the population came Sammelan XII - 4 : Oct. - Dec

11 down marginally from 80.5% in 2001 to 79.8% in There is a small increase in the Muslim population. In 2001, Muslims constituted 13.4% of the country s population; this went up marginally to 14.2% in In absolute numbers, the Hindu population increased by 13.9 crore during ; the Muslim population increased by 3.4 crore. All the same, comparing the fertility rate of Hindus and Muslims during , the 2011 data shows that the fertility rate of Muslims is falling faster than that of Hindus. The States which have higher tribal population, the growth of Hindu population is shown higher. The notable rise in the Hindu population is seen in Jharkhand (21.1%); Rajasthan (20.9%); Madhya Pradesh (20%). The States and Union Territories where the Hindu decadal growth was higher than their averages are Goa, Nagaland, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Puducherry, Karnataka, Punjab, and Chandigarh. The decadal growth rate for Christians ( ) was higher than 100% in Bihar and Arunachal, but the community recorded a negative growth in Nagaland (-2.8%), Andhra (-4.4%), Lakshadeep, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The proportion of Christians in the total population has, however, dipped slightly from 2.34% in 2001 to 2.29% in Christians have the best Sex Ratio The other important piece of data from the 2011 Census is sex ratio, i.e. the number of females for every 1,000 males. The Christians have the best sex ratio. This is clear from the 2011 Census data provided below: The sex ratio (number of females for every 1,000 males) among different religious groups differs: Hindus = 939 Muslims = 951 Christians = 1,023 Sikhs = 903 In India, there is a preferential choice for male children. We have been reading in the news papers that there is a rampant amount of sex determination in clinics all over India and there is selective abortion of the female foetus. In this context, the sex ratio of Christians in 2011 Census indicating 1,023 females for every 1,000 males needs further research to find out whether there is some relationship between their Christian faith and a good sex ratio. Geographical Distribution of Christians in India Another important information we can infer from the 2011 Census is the distribution of Christians in different parts of India. Nearly half of the country s Christian population lives in south India. The five southern states Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana account for 1.28 crore (46%) of India s 2.78 crore Christians. Among them Kerala alone is home to % of the total Christians in the country, followed by Tamil Nadu with 15.88%. The seven north-eastern states account for 28.1% of the Christian population. Goa accounts for 1.3% of the Christian population in India. The rest of the country is home to less than 25% of the total Christians in the country. Sammelan XII - 4 : Oct. - Dec

12 Geographical distribution of minorities Religious minorities in India, with the exception of Sikhs, live more in urban areas than rural. While only 29 of Hindus live in urban areas, 40% of Muslims and Christians, 43% Buddhists and 80% of Jains live in towns and cities. Conclusions The Census 2011 confirms the declining trend in population growth rate in the country. The demographic trend of the 2011 Census indicates that with increased access to e d u c a t i o n a n d b e t t e r e c o n o m i c opportunities, a decline in fertility follows naturally. Women s education is the most important factor explaining fertility differences across the country and over time. The Muslim population has shown an increasing trend. All the same, comparing the fertility rate of Hindus and Muslims during , the 2011 data shows that the fertility rate of Muslims is falling faster than in Hindus. Though there is a slight decline of Hindu population at the all-india level, the data indicates that there is a higher growth trend of Hindu population in tribal areas like Jharkhand. The Christian population more or less remains the same for the last three times the national population Census has been taken. Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Nagaland, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Puducherry are showing declining Christian populations. 46% of the Christians live in South India 40% of the Christians live in urban areas. Christians show the best Sex Ratio among all the communities in India Fr. S.M. Michael SVD POPE FRANCIS DECLARES 2016 AS THE JUBILEE YEAR OF MERCY The logo and the motto together provide a fitting summary of what the Jubilee Year th beginning on 8 December 2015 is all about. The motto Merciful Like the Father (taken from the Gospel of Luke, 6:36) serves as an invitation to follow the merciful example of God the Father who asks us not to judge or condemn but to forgive and to give love and forgiveness without measure (cfr. Lk 6:37-38). The logo represents an image of the Son having taken upon his shoulders the lost soul demonstrating that it is the love of Christ that brings to completion the mystery of his incarnation culminating in redemption. It expresses the profound way in which the Good Shepherd touches the flesh of humanity and does so with a love with the power to change one s life. The scene is captured within the so called mandorla (the shape of an almond), a figure quite important in early and medieval iconography, for it calls to mind the two natures of Christ, divine and human. Sammelan XII - 4 : Oct. - Dec

13 CHRISTMAS: GOD ABIDES WITH HUMAN BEINGS AN INTER-RELIGIOUS CHRISTMAS GATHERING I Introduction Leader: Friends, welcome to this celebration of Christmas. Somehow Christmas always evokes a sense of joy with decorations, carols, Christmas gifts, Santa Claus, Christmas stars and Christmas trees. But more than all this, Christmas has a spiritual dimension: it is a feast that celebrates God s love for the human family: God loves us and wants to give us an experience of the fullness of that love. Therefore God takes birth among us as Jesus and in and through Jesus, God reaches to every one of us. Now, God s coming to us is not restricted to Christmas time. He always comes and is always with us. We shall begin with a hymn from the Poet Tagore, which reminds us of this. All: Have you not heard his silent steps? Have you not heard his silent steps? He comes, comes, ever comes. Every moment and every age, every day and every night he comes, comes, ever comes. Many a song have I sung in many a mood of mind, but all their notes have always proclaimed, He comes, comes, ever comes. In the fragrant days of sunny April through the forest path he comes, comes, ever comes. In the rainy gloom of July nights on the thundering chariot of clouds he comes, comes, ever comes. In sorrow after sorrow it is his steps that press upon my heart, and it is the golden touch of his feet that makes my joy to shine. II Proclamation of Scriptures Leader: All religions teach us that God loves us,and that God comes to us in many ways. Islam ØemleeJevee DeiegDee : efce$ees! ef eâmceme kesâ meceejesn cew Deehe keâe mjeeiele nw ~ ef eâmceme meoe Deevevo keâer YeeJevee peeie=le keâjlee nw ~ Fme Deevevo mes mebyebefoele nw mepeeješ, eermlepeùebleer kesâ ieerle lelee Ghenej, ef eâmceme-heâeoj, ef eâmceme-š^er Deewj leeje, hejvleg Fve meye mes yeì{keâj nw ef eâmceme DeeOÙeeeflcekeâ DeeÙeece ~ Ùen Ssmee lùeesnej nw efpemeces, ceeveje heefjjeej kesâ efueùes, F&Õej kesâ Øesce keâe mcejce efkeâùee peelee nw ~ F&Õej ncew hùeej keâjlee nw Deewj Jen ncew Fme Øesce keâer hetce&lee keâe DevegYeJe keâjevee Ûeenlee nw ~ Fme efueùes F&Õej, Ùesmeg kesâ he cew nceejs yeerûe pevce ueslee nw Deewj Ùesmeg kesâ Éeje, F&Õej nce cew mes nj Skeâ lekeâ hengbûelee nw ~ F&Õej nceejs heeme Dee jne nw, Ùen ef eâmceme kesâ meceùe lekeâ ner meerefcele vener nw ~ Jen lees ncesmee Deelee nw Deewj meoe nceejs meele jnlee nw ~ Fmeer melùe keâes Ùeeo keâjkesâ nce keâefje šwieesj kesâ Skeâ Yepeve mes meyee DeejcYe keâjles nq meye: keäùee legceves Gmekesâ ceewve keâoce vener megves? keäùee legceves Gmekesâ ceewve keâoce vener megves? Jen Deelee nw Deelee nw, meoe Deelee nw ~ nj #ece Deewj nj keâeue cew nj efove Deewj nj jele, Jen Deelee nw Deelee nw meoe Deelee nw ~ ceqves yengle mes ieerle iees nq efjeefyeve ceveesomee cew hej Gvekesâ meye mjejew ves meoe Ùener Iees<eCee keâer nw Jen Deelee nw, Deelee nw meoe Deelee nw GppeJeue DeØewue kesâ megieefvoele efoveew cew, Jen pebieue keâer jen Deelee nw Deelee nw meoe Deelee nw ~ pegueef& keâer jeleew keâer yeeefjmeer Goemeer cew, iejpeles yeeoueew kesâ jle hej, Jen Deelee nw meoe Deelee nw Skeâ og:ke kesâ yeeo otmejs og:ke cew Gmekesâ keâoce, cesjs ùoùe keâes oyeeles nq Deewj Gmekesâ hewjew keâe megvenje mheme&, cesjs Deevevo keâes Ûecekeâelee nw Oece&-«evLeeW keâer Iees<eCee DeiegDee : meye Oece& ncew efmekeeles nw efkeâ F&Õej ncew hùeej keâjlee nw, efkeâ F&Õej keâf& lejn mes nceejs heeme Deelee nw ~ Fmueece ncew efmekeelee Sammelan XII - 4 : Oct. - Dec

14 teaches that God has always spoken to the human family through a large of number of Prophets at different times, till Allah gave the Koran. In the Gita, the sacred book of the Hindus, we read that God comes to us whenever there is a rise in evil and decline in morals. Let us listen to this reading from the Gita: Reader: (from the Bhagavadgita 4: 7-8) Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: When the righteous is weak and faint, and the unrighteous exults in pride, then my spirit arises on earth. For the salvation of those who are good, for the destruction of evil in human beings, for the fulfillment of the kingdom of righteousness, I come to this world in ages that pass. Leader: As we just heard, we all believe that God ordains from time to time special persons as his prophets or instruments to be born in this world when humankind is in crisis, in dire need of divine intervention: God sends unusual persons like Mahatma Gandhi, Vivekananda, the Buddha, Mahavir, Prophet Mohammed, Abraham Lincoln, Mother Theresa and so on, persons with extraordinary holiness, to serve, reform or liberate others. Christians believe that in Jesus Christ, God becomes human in order to tell us how much God loves each one of us, how we can and why we should overcome sin, and live as brothers and sisters, and thus attain the goal for which we were created. It is the great event of this birth that is celebrated at Christmas. III The Christmas Narrative Let us listen now to the story of the birth of Jesus. The narration will be interspersed with carols. Reader: The Jewish people always believed that they were a people special to God, and yet they were for centuries under foreign rule: by the Egyptians, the Assyrians, the Greeks, the Romans... They still held on to the belief that God would send them a Saviour or Liberator to free them from foreign domination. However, they didn t know when exactly this would be. So that nw efkeâ F&Õej ves, efjeefyeve meceùe ces keâf& YeefJe<ÙeJekeäleeDeeW Éeje ceeveje heefjjeej mes yeelew keâer ~ efheâj Deuueen ves ncew kegâjdeeve oer~ efnvogdeew kesâ heefje$e «evle cew, nce heì{les nq efkeâ peye peye yegjef& yeì{leer nw lelee veweflekeâlee Iešleer nw, F&Õej nceejs heeme Deelee nw ~ DeeDees nce ieerlee keâe Ùen hee" megves hee"keâ : YeieJeod ieerlee mes 4:7-8 ßeer ke=â<ce ves Depeg&ve mes keâne - peye Yeer Deewj peneb Yeer Oece& keâe heleve neslee nw Deewj DeOece& keâer ØeOeevelee nesves ueieleer nw, leye ceq DeJeleej ueslee nbt ~ YeòeâeW keâe Gæej keâjves og ew keâe efjeveeme keâjves lelee Oece& keâer efheâj mes mleehevee keâjves kesâ efueùes ceq nj Ùegie ces Øekeâš neslee nbt ~ DeiegDee : pewmee efkeâ DeYeer nceves megvee, nce meye efjeõeeme keâjles nq efkeâ meceùe meceùe hej, peye ceeveje peeefle mebkeâškeâeue cew nesleer nw Ùee Gmes F&ÕejerÙe nmle#eshe keâer Ieesj DeeJeMÙekeâlee nesleer nw lees F&Õej, Deheves YeefJe<ÙeJeòeâe Ùee meeoeve kesâ he cew, efjemes<e JÙeefòeâÙeeW keâes Fme mebmeej cew hewoe keâjlee nw, F&Õej efjemes<e heefje$elee mes Yejs DemeeOeejCe JÙeefòeâÙeeW keâes, DevÙe ueesieew keâer mesjee keâjves GvnW megoeejves lelee cegòeâ keâjves kesâ efues Yespelee nw- pewmes cenelcee ieeboeer, efjejeskeâevevo, yegooe, cenejeerj, hewiecyej ceesncceo DeyeÇence efuebkeâve, ceoj Lesjsmee Deeefo ~ F&meeF& ueesie efjeõeeme keâjles nq efkeâ F&mee cemeern kesâ he cew F&Õej ceeveje yevekeâj ncew Ùen yeleeves DeeÙee, efkeâ Jen nce meye keâes efkeâlevee hùeej keâjlee nw, Deewj nce efkeâme lejn heehe hej efjepeùe heekeâj, YeeF&-yenve keâer lejn peerkeâj, Gme ue#ùe keâes Øeehle keâj mekeâles nq efpemekesâ efueùes nce yevees ies nq ~ ef eâmcele hej nce Fmeer ceneve Iešvee keâe cene meceejesn ceveeles nq ~ (metûevee : ieeùekeâ cec[ue - ef eâmceme keâlee keâe JeCe&ve, efjeefyeve ÂMÙeeW Deewj Deevevo-ieerleeW Éeje efkeâùee ieùee nw ~ efjeefyeve ÂMÙe cebûe hej Ùee heejej-heesfvš Éeje yelees peesb ~ Deevevo-ieerle, meble hee@ue kesâ meer.[er heejeve jele mes efueùes ies nq ~ Deehe hetje ieerle iee mekeâles nw Ùee Deheveer hemebo kesâ Deevebo-ieerle iee mekeâles nq~) ef eâmceme keâlee DeeDees Deye nce Ùesmeg keâer pevce-keâlee megves ~ keâlee kesâ oewjeve Deevevo-ieerle Yeer megvewies ~ hee"keâ :- Ùentoer ueesieew keâe meoe efjeõeeme jne nw efkeâ Jes ueesie F&Õej kesâ efues efjemes<e jns nq, efheâj Yeer Jes meefoùeew lekeâ efjeosefmeùeew kesâ Gvehej jepe efkeâùee: efceœeer, DemeerefjÙee Ùetveeveer lelee jesefceùeew ves... ~ GvnW efheâj Yeer efjeõeeme Lee efkeâ F&Õej, GvnW efjeosefmeùeew kesâ Meemeve mes cegòeâ keâjves kesâ efueùes Skeâ yeûeevesjeeuee Ùee cegefòeâoelee Yespesiee, hejvleg GvnW Ùen ceeuetce vener Lee efkeâ Ùen keâye nesiee ~ Fme efues Jes ncew Sammelan XII - 4 : Oct. - Dec

15 was their constant prayer, that God would send them a saviour. We will listen to this prayer song now. Choir : O come, O come, Emmanuel. Reader: In a town called Nazareth there lived a young girl, Mary. An angel one day appeared to her and said to her: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Mary was deeply troubled with this greeting, but the angel told her not to be afraid. Then he told her that she would have a child and that he would be the fulfillment of the hopes of Israel. Mary was even more puzzled because she was not married, she was only promised in marriage to Joseph, a carpenter. But the angel told her she would be the mother of the Son of God. Although all this went totally against Mary s plan for herself, she said her yes to God. She always wanted to do whatever God wanted of her. After about nine months, when Mary was to have her baby, she went with Joseph to Bethlehem, for they had to register themselves in the census. When they reached there, there was no room for them in the common inn, and they were too poor to afford costly lodging. So they had to go to a stable on a hill side where shepherds looked after their sheep, and there in the night, Mary gave birth to Jesus and he was wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed on the hay on a cold wintry night. The choir will now sing this for us: Choir: Silent night, holy night, ØeeLe&vee keâjles jns efkeâ F&Õej Gvekesâ efueùes Skeâ cegefòeâoelee Yespes ~ DeeDees Deye nce Skeâ Deevevo ieerle megves ieeùekeâ cec[ue : heejeve jele ieerle -1 hee"keâ : veepejsle veecekeâ Skeâ veiej cew ceefjùee veece keâer Skeâ pejeeve ueì[keâer jnleer Leer ~ Skeâ efove Skeâ otle Gmekesâ meeceves Øekeâš ngdee Gmeves keâne ØeCeece ceefjùee, let ke=âhee mes hetce& nw, ØeYeg lesjs meele nw Fme DeeefYeJeeove keâes megvekeâj ceefjùee yengle hejsmeeve nes ief& hejvleg otle ves Gmemes keâne [jes cele~ leye Gmeves ceefjùee mes keâne efkeâ Jen Skeâ heg$e keâes pevce osieer pees FœeeSue keâer DeeMeeDeeW keâer hetleea nesiee ~ ceefjùee keâes Deewj DeefOekeâ Dee eùe& ngdee keäùeewkeâer Jen DeefJeJeeefnle Leer~ ÙetmegHeâ veecekeâ yeì{f& mes Gmekeâer cebieveer ngf& Leer, hejvleg otle ves ceefjùee mes keâne efkeâ Jen F&Õej kesâ heg$e keâer ceeb nesieer~ ÙeÅeefhe Ùen meye ceefjùee keâer Deheveer Ùeespevee kesâ efje æ Lee, efheâj Yeer Gmeves mjeerkeâej efkeâùee ~ Jen meoe Jener keâjvee Ûeenleer Leer pees F&Õej Ûeenlee nw ~ keâjerye veew ceefnveew kesâ yeeo peye ceeefjùee Deheves heg$e keâes pevce osvesjeeueer Leer, Jen peveiecevee cew ÙetmegHeâ kesâ meele veece efuekeeves kesâ efueùes yesleuesnsce ief& ~ JeneB hengbûeves hej GvnW meeceevùe mejeùe ces peien vener efceueer ~ keâerceleer DeeJeeme keâer GveceW meecele& vener Leer ~ FmeefueS Jes heneì[er kesâ efkeâveejs peneb ieì[efjùes Deheves YeW[es keâer oskeyeeue keâj jns Les, Skeâ ieesmeeuee cew "nj ies ~ JeneB jele keâes ceefjùee ves Ùesmeg keâes pevce efoùee ~ Gme "C[er jele keâes, Ùesmeg keâes keâhe[ew cew uehesš keâj metkeer Ieeme hej efueše efoùee ieùee ~ ieeùekeâ cec[ue - ieerle 2 veerjje jele, heejeve jele, hee"keâ : osme kesâ Gme Yeeie cew kegâú ieì[efjùes Les, pees cewoeve cew Deheveer YeW[es keâer oskeyeeue keâj jns Les ~ Deheveer Ûecekeâleer ceefncee cew, Skeâ mjeie&otle Gvekesâ meeceves Øekeâš ngdee Deewj GvnW Gme yeeuekeâ kesâ pevce keâe cenlje mecepeeùee. ieeùekeâ cec[ue - ieerle 6- mjeieea otle ieeles nq, Reader: There were some shepherds in that part of the country who were spending the night in the fields taking care of their flocks. An angel appeared to them in bright glory, and explained to them the importance of the birth of this baby. Choir: Angels we have heard on high Sammelan XII - 4 : Oct. - Dec

16 Reader: After the angels message, the shepherds immediately rose and hurried to the manger, and found Joseph and Mary, and the baby lying amid the beasts. They narrated to them all that they had heard from the angels. And there was great rejoicing. Choir: Come, come, come to the manger, IV Intercessions Leader: Having heard the Christmas story, let us now with deep faith and trust, place before God our prayers: Your response will be: May all people have your joy and peace, O God. 1. At Christmas is celebrated God s coming to earth as a human beings. R/ 2. In the Christmas story we see how God loves the poor and the simple, the shepherds, the animals, the manger. May we also have a loving attitude towards the poor and be simple in our own life and attitude. R/ 3. God, grant that the followers of every religion may be instruments of proclaiming your message of love and forgiveness by our way of life. R/ 4. We pray for all those who cannot celebrate this joyous season ; those who are sick, those who have to care for the sick, those who are far away from home, those who are too poor May God give them better times and greater love and joy. R/ 5. Christmas and New Year are family feasts. May God bless all our families of joy. We pray for all broken homes for those away from their families. R/ We end a joyful hymn: Jag ke kone kone me (or any other suitable song) after which we shall greet one another with greetings of peace and joy. Sr. Vandana Francis FHIC hee"keâ : otleew kesâ mebosme kesâ yeeo, ieì[efjs Gmeer meceùe G"s Deewj Ûejveer kesâ heeme hengbûes ~ GvneWves ceefjùee Deewj ÙetmegHeâ keâes JeneB heeùee ~ efmemeg, peevejejew kesâ yeerûe uesše ngdee Lee ~ pees kegâú GvneWves otleew mes megvee Lee Jen meye GvneWves ceefjùee Deewj ÙetmegHeâ keâes megveeùee Deewj JeneB yengle KegefMeÙeeB ceveef& ief&~ ieeùekeâ cec[ue - ieerle 4 uesše otj Skeâ Ûejveer cew yeeuekeâ ÙesMeg, ceoùemleleesb DeiegDee - ef eâmceme keâlee megveves kesâ yeeo, DeeDees Deye ienjs efjeõeeme Deewj DeeMee kesâ meele, nce Deheveer ØeeLe&veeSB, F&Õej kesâ meeceves jkes. Deehekeâe pejeeye nesiee : ns F&Õej! meye ueesieew keâes lesjer KegMeer Deewj Meebefle Øeehle nes. 1) peye ef eâmeceme cew, F&Õej keâe, ceveg<ùe kesâ he he=ljeer hej Deeves keâe meceejesn ceveeùee pee jne nw ~ pejeeye 2) peye ef eâmceme keâlee cew nce oskeles nq efkeâ F&Õej kewâmes meeceevùe Deewj iejeryeew keâes, ieì[efjùeew, peevejejew lelee Ûejveer keâes hùeej keâjlee nw~ pejeeye 3) ns F&Õej! ncew Smeer ke=âhee Øeoeve keâj nce, Deheves peerjeve kesâ GoenjCe mes, lesjs Øesce Deewj #ecee keâe mebosme Hewâueeves keâe meeoeve yeve peesb ~ pejeeye 4) nce Gve meye kesâ efueùes ØeeLe&vee keâjles nw pees Fme Deevebvo mes Yejs DeJemej keâe Deevevo vener ues mekeâles, pees yeerceej nw, pees yeerceejew keâer mesjee cew ueies nq, pees Deheves Iej mes yengle otj nw, pees yengle iejerye nq F&Õej GvnW DeÛÚs efove efokees GvnW DeefOekeâ hùeej Deewj Deevevo os ~ pejeeye 5) ef eâmceme Deewj veùee meeue heefjjeejew keâe lùeesnej nw ~ F&Õej nceejs heefjjeejew keâes Deevevo Øeoeve keâjs, nce štšs heefjjeejew kesâ efues lelee pees Deheves heefjjeej mes otj nw, Gvekesâ efues ØeeLe&vee keâjles nq pejeeye Devle cew keâesf& GheÙegòeâ Deevevo ieerle Ùee Yepeve nes ~ Skeâ otmejes kesâ Øeefle Deheveer MegYekeâecevee Øekeâš keâjw DevegJeeove - heer Skeäme. mjeeceer Sammelan XII - 4 : Oct. - Dec