From the Director s Desk

Transcription

1 Weekly Mass Sundays at 3:00 PM Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission of Greater Washington: Northern Virginia Community Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago S t. A n d r e w L u t h e r a n C h u r c h, S o u c y P l a c e C e n t e r v i l l e, V A Sunday School Sundays at 2:00 PM V o l u m e 1, I s s u e 5 D e c e m b e r 4, From the Director s Desk I n s i d e t h i s i s s u e : From the Director s Desk 1 December is practically the holiday season. After Thanksgiving, people are already busy preparing for. New Year s Day is around the corner. So many things to do and so little time, many feel, and no time to rest even. Parish News & Upcoming Events Announcements & Thank You(s)! The Birth of Jesus Christ 1,2 3 4 മധഽര മലയഺള 5 The Nativity 5 A memorable Kids Corner Our Faith 6 7 The new liturgical year, a new year of grace, begins with ADVENT. It is so wonderful that we are given yet another year to get things right, isn t it? The liturgical year ended on a note of thanksgiving to the LORD who brings everything to fulfillment according to His Divine Plan and all for our sake!!! Hence Agamanakalam (Advent) is a time of great HOPE and we eagerly WAIT for the threefold COMING of the LORD. At we celebrate the Lord s COMING in history (past); today He COMES (present) to us in Word and Sacrament; and we wait for His glorious Second COMING (future). Remember, the LORD promised us, I will be with you And He COMES to be with us and to save us. And how do we respond to this great love? By preparing ourselves to receive the LORD into our hearts, our homes and our lives (at every level)! Prayer, fasting and sharing in charity help us better to receive the LORD. Prayer makes us more sensitive to the presence of the LORD; fasting strengthens us against all obstacles; sharing in charity makes us participate in the very sharing love of God Himself!! Blessed Jacinta of Fatima Fun Almond Cookies & Cross Word puzzle At your service Advertisements 8 9 9, 10 I wish you all a fruitful Advent Season and a Wonderful and Grace-filled of Peace and Joy God bless all of you.. And I wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Fr. Mathew Punchayil (Mission Director) Mission Director Fr. Mathew Punchayil ( ) Trustees Jilson Joseph ( ) & Regi Alexander ( ) Mass Saturday, December 25th Mass for this year will be Celebrated at 9:30 A.M. on Saturday, December 25. There will be no vigil mass for. Confessions will be heard before the mass from 9:00-9:30 A.M. on Saturday. Carols Let s Jingle all the way!! To make this year's celebrations really memorable, carolers will be visiting Syro-malabar families in NVA on Dec 4th, 11th and 18th. Families are encouraged to decorate their trees and nativity cribs. Prizes will be awarded to the best during the Parish Celebrations. See details about the parish celebrations on Page 2 Upcoming events. section.

2 P a g e 2 Parish Celebration Mark your calendar! Our parish celebration is scheduled for the 8th of January from 4:30-9:30 P.M. The venue is School Hall, Boyd School Westfield Campus located at 4550 Walney Rd, Chantilly, VA Preparations are in full swing, so come to be dazzled as our community gears up for a grand celebration. Program details will be shared in the coming weeks. As always,we are looking for volunteers to help organize and support the event. Ours is a young community and it literally takes a cast of thousands to put together a great event. Contact the trustees or one of the council members, if you are interested in volunteering your time or talent to this event. Parish News and Upcoming events Mass December 25th Carols December 4th, 8th and 11th. Parish Celebration Jan 8th, 2011 First Communion, Confession & Confirmation Registration continues for the first communicants and confirmands for the summer of Most Reverend Bishop Jacob Angadiath will be the celebrant for the event. If your child is old enough to receive first communion and confirmation, please contact Mr. Tomy Paul ( ) for registration details. New to our parish? We extend a warm welcome to all our new members! Please contact the trustees or one of the council members if you have questions or for detailed information about to how to get involved and become active members in the parish. To receive updates about our community, please join our group at and apply for membership. For up-to-date information, please visit community calendar at Looking for ways to contribute? To celebrate our Holy mass we need vestments for the priest, paten, chalice and prayer books. For our fellowship and community gatherings, we need coffeemakers and other items. If you would like to sponsor any of these items or contribute to the community in some way as a well wisher or active member, please contact Mr. Jilson Joseph. In addition we are always in need of volunteers especially in the areas highlighted below: Altar service: The church is seeking volunteers for Altar Service. If you are interested in becoming an Altar Server, please contact Mr. George Parapurathu ( ). Lectors: If you would like to be a reader at Sunday Masses, please contact Mr. George Manalel ( ). Music Ministry: Do you love to sing? Come, get acquainted with a great group of adults and kids. Have some fun! No prior experience required. Please contact Mr. Shaju Joseph ( ) for further information. Fellowship and Refreshments: Coffee and light refreshments will be served each week after the Holy Mass to give everyone an opportunity to meet and greet fellow parishioners. To sponsor refreshments for our community, please contact Mr. Sajith Thoppil ( ). Parish Bulletin: We encourage you to contribute to our parish bulletin by way of articles, stories, or reflections and bring your talent to the limelight. If you have one ready to publish or are planning to work on one, please contact Mr. Charles Thomas ( ). S y r o - M a l a b a r C a t h o l i c M i s s i o n o f G r e a t e r W a s h i n g t o n : N o r t h e r n V i r g i n i a C o m m u n i t y

3 V o l u m e 1, I s s u e 5 Readings for December December 5, 2010 First Reading: Isaiah 11:1-10 Second Reading: Romans 15:4-9 Gospel: Matthew 3:1-12 December 12, 2010 First Reading: Isaiah 35:1-6, 10 Second Reading: James 5:7-10 Gospel: Matthew 11:2-11 December 19, 2010 First Reading: Isaiah 7:10-14 Second Reading: Romans 1:1-7 Gospel: Matthew 1:18-24 December 26, 2010 First Reading: Sirach 3:2-6, Second Reading: Colossians 3:12-21 Gospel: Matthew 2:13-15, Announcements We congratulate blessed parents, Sony Kuruvilla & Jyothi Varughese on the birth of their daughter Nia Philomina Pattet born 11/18/2010. Proud Brothers: Noahan & Nathan Pattet. Youth Group Update We had a spectacular start for our youth ministry program in November and the members have already begun actively participating in the life of the parish. It is going to be a great tool for instilling spiritual values and a transformative experience for those who want to make a difference in their lives. Do you have difficulty developing a Christian identity in this secular world? Do you struggle with your faith? Youth ministry is a great place to start. We invite you to join. For more details please contact Mr. John Kattoor( / johnpkattoor@gmail.com) or Ms. Sismi Menachery ( / sismimenachery@gmail.com). P a g e 3 Account Information Month of November Total Collection - $ For more information contact Mr Jojo Mathew ( ). All your financial contributions to the parish are tax deductible. Hence, in order to receive acknowledgment for your contributions at the end of the fiscal year, please make your contributions by check payable to Syro-malabar catholic mission of GW:NVC or if you are contributing in cash, please enclose it in a sealed envelope with your mailing address. The Syro-malabar community of NVA expresses their sincere gratitude to Rev. Fr. Joseph Elamparayil, Rev. Fr. Antony Manarkkulam & Rev. Fr. Mathew Punchayil for celebrating holy mass and homilies and for their spiritual guidance for the month of November. Bejoy Thomas Council Members Refreshments: Special Thanks to Parishioners from Tysons Corner, Mclean, Falls church and Vienna for setting up the refreshments and cleaning for the month of November. All Parishioners from Gainsville, Bristow and Manasas are requested to volunteer this month. Sponsors Month of November We are grateful to Mr. Sathian Pinchappan and Mr. Saju. T. Thomas and their families for sponsoring refreshments for the month of November. Charles Thomas George Alex George Manalel George Parapurathu Jimmy Jose Johnson Myalil Jose Thomas Charles Thomas Dilip Vadakkoot Neena Mathew Editorial Board Sismi Menachery Smitha Regi Sony Kuruvilla Joseph Jacob Joshy Joseph Rani James Sajith Thoppil Saju Thomas Shaju Joseph Sujith Abraham Teji Manalel Newsletter Submission Deadline December 20th is the deadline for submitting articles and announcements for the news letter for the month of January If you have questions, please contact Mr. Charles Thomas ( ). A big Thank you to all the contributors for this month. December Newsletter edited by Mrs. Smitha Regi

4 P a g e 4 The Birth of Jesus Christ The Story As found in the Holy Bible, in the book of Luke. By Chinchu Binochan It was a simple scene that first a rough room, a young couple and nothing but a feeding trough to put the child in. It was probably quite cold and with family far away there was little help. Not exactly the Hallmark moment we like to show in pageants. And yet this rustic scene marked the greatest event in the history of mankind. "About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was the governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his hometown to be accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David's hometown, for the census. As a decendant of David he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancee, who was pregnant. While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped Him in a blanket and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the hostel. There were shepherds camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David's town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger." At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's praises: "Glory to God in the heavenly heights; Peace to all men and women on earth who please Him." As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the shepherds talked it over. "Let's get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us." They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the shepherds were impressed. Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The shepherds returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they'd been told!" (Luke 2:1-20). It was a simple scene that first a rough room, a young couple and nothing but a feeding trough to put the child in. It was probably quite cold and with family far away there was little help. Not exactly the Hallmark moment we like to show in pageants. And yet this rustic scene marked the greatest event in the history of mankind. God's Son became human and came to earth to save us. God had promised to send a Messiah, one who would save His people. He could have easily burst on the scene as a full grown man, a seven foot warrior with fiery eyes and arms of steel. This was what many people were looking for, but it wasn't how God did it. He arrived in the arms of a young girl. He was, as another of our authors put it, "a very small package, wrapped in rags, given from the heart of God. The perfect gift." God gave His only Son to die in our place so that we, in all our brokenness, could know forgiveness. He came so that we could know what love feels like, real love love that never leaves, love that never disappoints, love that is never betrayed. He sent His Son into a corrupted world to bring us hope. How are you doing this? Are you having a hard time finding hope in the world? Are you having a hard time finding peace? It doesn't have to be that way. You can have peace and find hope and know forgiveness through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer. Praying is simply talking to God. God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. Here's a suggested prayer: Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to You and ask You to come in as my Saviour and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Bring peace to my world this. Make me the kind of person You want me to be. If this prayer expresses the desire of your heart, pray it right now and Christ will come into your life as He promised. If you invited Jesus Christ into your life, thank God often that He is in your life, that He will never leave you and that you have eternal life. S y r o - M a l a b a r C a t h o l i c M i s s i o n o f G r e a t e r W a s h i n g t o n : N o r t h e r n V i r g i n i a C o m m u n i t y

5 V o l u m e 1, I s s u e 5 മധഽര മലയഺള By Alex Jacob P a g e 5 സവന ത രല ഒരഽ നഺട റന നട ട 55 വര ഷഷ ന നനഽന നഽ. മലയഺള സ സഺരക കഽന ന ജനതയഽ ന രഺഷ ട രയമഺയ ഏകകരണമഺയരഽന നഽ കരള സ സ ഥഺന ര കരണത ത ന ന ല ഷ ട ധഺന കഺരണ. 55 വര ഷഷത തന റ കരള മ റ ഺരഽ റന നഺ ക ന ആ ഺഷച ച ഺ മലയഺള വണ ഽ ഒരഽ കഺത ന നഺട ട നനന ന ല? നമഽക ക മഺഷ ട ത എന തഽ കഺണ ഺണ ദഽ:രവസ ഥ? നമ മഽ ന കഽട ടക മഺഷ ട ത എ ന ത മലയഺള 'കഽരച ച കഽരച ച ' മഺഷ ട ത റയഽന നഽ? അയല ക കഺരഺയ തമഴനഽ ആഷ ട രക കഺരനഽ മഺത ഭഺഷ അമ തഽ ഺ ല തലമഽറ കമഺറഽ പഺ ഈ കഺരയത തല എ ന തഺ ഒരഽ ഗഽരഽതവ ദഺഷ മലയഺള യ നഴല ഺ ല ന തഽനരഽന ന ല എന നഽ സ ശയക കണ! ക നഽതല ചന തക കഽ പഺ നമ മഽ ന യല ഺ മ നഺഭഺവ ആണ ഒന നഺ ഷ ട ത എന നഽ കഺണഺ. മഽറ ത ത മഽല യഽ ന സഽഗര മലയഺള ക കന നഽ ഒരഽ വലകഽറഞ ഞ കഺരയമഺയരഽന നഽ. കണ ണ ക എന നഽ നഞ ഞഺ റഺട ട തഽറന നഽവയ ക ക കഺന നഺമറയഺ ത ശലച ചരഽന നഽ. ഇന തയയഽ ന മറ സ സ ഥഺനങ ങളല നന നഽള ളവര ഷ, വ ശഷച ച തമഴര ഷ, മച ച ട ട ജവതത തനഺയ അനയനഺനഽകള ലക ക ച ക കറഺന നര ഷ രതരഺവഽ പഺ ഺലഽ അവനവന റ ഭഺഷയഽ സ സ കഺരവഽ മറന നഽ ഺവഺ ത മഺ റഺനണയ ക ക കഽന നഽ. മലയഺള യഺ, സവന ത കഽഞ ഞനഽ മലയഺള അറയല എന നത ഒരഽ അഭമഺനമഺയ കരഽതഽന നഽ! ഈ മഺനസകഺവസ ഥയലഺണ മലയഺളത തന റ അധ: തന തഽനങ ങഽന നത. ഒരഽ ചളവഺര യറയല അല ഈ കഽറ ല ഷയ. കരളത തല ത ന ന മലയഺള ഒരഽ ഗഽരഽതരമഺയ അതജവനഷ ട തസര നരനഽ പഺ, 'അമ മ' എന ന ക ട ടവഺയക കഺന അറയഺ ത രഽദങ ങ നനഺന നമ മഽ ന നഺട ടല ത ന ന ഇ ഺ ധഺരഺള അവസരങ ങ ഉള ള ഺ നമ മ ഷ ട വഺസക ഈ വഷയ ക നഽതല ചര ഷച ച ച ന നത അധരവയഺയഺമത തനഽ അതലഽ ര മന:ഷ ട യഺസത തനഽ മഺഷ ട ത മ ഉ കരക ക. നമ മ ഺധ ര ഷ ച ണ ഒ ന നഺ ര ണ ഺ കഺരയങ ങ ള കഽറച ച ള ള ഒരഽ ര ഷമ മ നഽത തല മഺഷ ട തമഺണത. വളര ഷന നഽവരഽന ന കഽഞ ഞഽങ ങ ള ദവസ ഒ ന നഺ ര ണ ഺ മലയഺള വഺക കഽക വത വഺയക കഺനഽ ഉച ചരക കഺനഽ ഠ ക കഺന സഺധച ചഺല ത ന ന വലയ നട ടമഺയ. വട ടല നര ഷ ര ര ഷവ മലയഺള സ സഺരക കഽന നതഽ ഒരഽ നല കഺരയമഺണ., ഇ തഺ ക ക ചയ ക തതഽ കഺണ കഽട ട ഭഺവയല മലയഺള സ സഺരക കഽ, വഺയക കഽ എ ന നഺ ക ക സവപ ന കണ ഽകളയരഽത! നമ മളഺല ച ഺനഽള ളത ചയ ക തഽ എന ന ഒരഽ സ ത പ ത ഉണ ഺവഽ, ശഷ വധ ഺ ല എന ന കരഽതഺ. അമ മഞ ഞ ഺല നഺ നഽണഞ ഞറക കയ ഒരഽ മഹത തഺയ ഭഺഷ നമഽക കഽണ. എഷ ട ത കനല കനന നഺലഽ മനസ സ കഺണ ന മ മ ഒന നച ച നര ഷത തഽന ന ഒരഽ തറവഺട ടമ മ. രണ റ വഽ ക ട ടമഽട ടക കഺനഽള ള നഺ ഺനഽക ക കനയലഽ, നമഽക ക ര ഷമ മക ഉള ളവരഺയരക കഺ. The Nativity By Blessy Rony An angel appeared to Mary, announced the great news, as she had been chosen, to be blessed among all. Mary obeyed and rejoiced to accept the light of life she knows he will, enlighten every one's lives. You are the son of god. We have seen your glory. You are the king of Israel, full of grace and truth. There was no place for him. He was born in a manger. There was no bed for him He had laid on the hay. Angels appeared to shepherds, told them fear not, for, behold, Jesus had been born, who will, bring them tidings of joy. They were filled with great joy, sang with angels on the sky. Glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on earth. Three kings were happened to see, the star shined over Bethlehem, they were set off to follow the star and to worship the savior of the world. Let's sing with angels in heaven, Glory to God in the Highest, Let's sing for joy to the God, he will shower blessings on us.

6 P a g e 6 Why did God do such a thing as sending his son to the world? Because He loves us! Why was necessary? Because we needed a Savior! Why does God love us so much? Because he himself is love. A memorable By Roslyn Tomy The true meaning of is different for everyone. For some it means spending the season with family and friends, remembering the birth of Christ, practicing old traditions, or giving service to those in need. During the season most of us lose focus on Jesus and concentrate only on Santa, gifts, parties, decorations, and fun. Since your childhood, you must be hearing a lot about Santa stories during season, like Santa sees you when you are sleeping, knows you when you are awake, if you weren t a good child, Santa would go out of his way to put coal into your stocking etc. When I was growing up, the Santa who used to come to my house with a carol group never carried any bundle of gifts. He was very happy holding balloons in his hands and giving out small candies from his pocket and showing funny tricks to make us laugh. So for me, Santa was a special figure to visit me every to make me happy through his funny tricks and actions. More than gifts, we really enjoyed making nativity scene and going to church at night. The Santa I hear about these days from movies and books is quite busy with shopping and packing up gifts. Sometimes Santa has to stand outside the cold weather holding red kettles in front of places like Wal-Mart to get gifts for children who have no parents to pay for the gift. Why are we giving such hard time to Santa? The real Santa, believed to be St.Nicholas, was a nice man who helped people secretly. He never wanted any attention or thanks. St.Nicholas showed people how to love God and care for each other. So we should let Santa help the needy by cutting down our wish list smaller this year or we can take care of at least one poor kid each in this time and give a relief to Santa. Most of you know that when you write a list to Santa, your parents are the real Santa who has to run around to make your wish come true on day. I think those of you who already know about this Santa game should come out of their shell of imagination and try to spread the real meaning of, which is love, and give and accept gifts as a symbolic gesture of remembering the gifts that were given to Jesus by the three wise men as well as in thanks to God for the gift of Jesus. The real story is the story of the birth of the Son of God, who was born in Bethlehem as the son of the Virgin Mary and Joseph and his name was Immanuel which means God with us, and he is Jesus Christ. Why did God do such a thing as sending his Son to the world? Because He loves us! Why was necessary? Because we needed a Savior! Why does God love us so much? Because He Himself is love. Why do we celebrate each year? Out of gratitude for what God has done for us, we worship God by remembering and celebrating the birth of Jesus, and by giving each other gifts of love, and showing compassion especially to the poor and the less fortunate. This doesn t mean that we must leave Santa completely out of. Children can still play the "Santa game" even if they know it is all a legend. They can make lists, sit on his lap at the mall, and leave out cookies and milk on Eve. This will not rob them of their joy of the season, and gives an opportunity to tell other children about the Godly qualities of the real Saint Nicholas, who dedicated his life serving others and made himself into a living example of Jesus Christ. Perhaps you received or gave gifts that ended up on a shelf collecting dust. The next time you receive a gift you will never use, consider the many needy families that would embrace such a gift. There are many ways to help needy people at like helping the homeless people by fulfilling their wishes, donating a gift to an innocent child, helping elderly people confined to nursing homes and hospitals (while many of these people have families, they do not get to see them even at ), donating old/new clothing and toys to Charity organizations etc. So let s all do something special to make this memorable. Wish you all a very merry! Let s see what our kids have to say about the real meaning of. The best three quotes from our Xmas quotes winners are given below. Congratulations for the good work! Author : Amala Thomas (age 10) - Proud parents: Charles and Mini Thomas Ho Ho Ho says Santa Claus. It is, the time to be joyful and happy. Please remember, it is Jesus birthday. Let us be kind and helpful and praise Jesus. is also the time to give pre- Author: Elin Bejoy (age 6) - Proud parents: Bejoy and Bincy Thomas "Once again is here, all the kids eager to open up their presents! Let`s not forget there are lots of kids with no presents to open, Let`s cheer them up, Wrap up our old toys and bring joy to them. Wouldn`t that be the best gift for baby Jesus" Author: Brian Jacob (age 8) - Proud Parents: Jason and Marilyn Jacob is about sharing God's love with others. It is about celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus. It is about celebrating the day when the animals, shepherds, the three wise men, Mary and Joseph and the angels all gathered around to see our Lord Jesus, our saviour, lying in a manger. And so we remember that day when Christ was born. is not about getting gifts. It is about giving gifts. S y r o - M a l a b a r C a t h o l i c M i s s i o n o f G r e a t e r W a s h i n g t o n : N o r t h e r n V i r g i n i a C o m m u n i t y

7 V o l u m e 1, I s s u e 5 P a g e 7 Our Faith : Saints, Facts and Legends By Fr. Joseph Elamparayil, OCD St. Paul wrote: You are fellow citizens of the saints and members of the household of God (Ephesians 2:19). As members of the Catholic Church, we are members of the family of saints. One of the many ways of knowing our family of faith is to know the stories of our saints. St. Ambrose said: The life of the saints is the norm of life for all others. Stories of saints are often fascinating for all, especially for the children. This column is prepared for our beloved children in our community. Dear boys and girls, you may learn the ABCs of our faith by reading Our Faith: Saints, Facts, and Legends. Always ask questions about saints. Save this page and memorize the fascinating facts about saints for an annual Quiz. Remember, great prizes are saved for the Winners. OFL4: St. Francis Xavier the Second Apostle of India St. Francis Xavier was a Jesuit missionary. He was declared the patron saint of foreign missions, together with St. Theresa of Lisieux in He is also called the Second Apostle of India and the Apostle of the Indies. Francis was the youngest son of Juan de Jasso, privy councillor to Jean de Albret I, king of Navarre, and his wife, Maria de Azpilcueta y Xavier, sole heiress of two noble Navarrese families. He was born at his mother s castle of Xavier or Xavero in a little town of Sanguesa in Spain, on April 7, In 1524 Francis went to the University of Paris, where he entered the College of St. Barbara, then the headquarters of the Spanish and Portuguese students. In 1528 he was appointed lecturer in Aristotelian philosophy at the Collège de Beauvais. In Paris he met with St. Ignatius of Loyola who was then planning the foundation of the Society of Jesus. Ignatius succeeded in gaining Francis for his missionary schemes. They were among the company of seven persons, including Loyola himself, who took the original Jesuit vows on August 15, On November 15, 1536 they left for Italy in concert with Ignatius plans for converting the Muslims of Palestine. While in Italy, Francis was also ordained a priest on Midsummer Day The outbreak of war between Venice and Turkey put an end to the Palestine expedition and the companions dispersed for a year for home mission work in the Italian cities. On March 15, 1540, Ignatius told Francis to leave Rome for Lisbon, Portugal the next day in order to join in the Mission to India. At the request of the Portuguese King, on April 7, 1541, he sailed from Lisbon to India and their ship reached Goa on May 6, With the permission of the Bishop of Goa, Francis immediately started walking through the streets ringing a small bell and gathering people to his catechetical instruction. After spending five months in Goa, he turned his attention to the Fishery Coast, where he had heard that the fishermen engaged in pearl fishery had relapsed into heathenism after having professed Christianity. He labored assiduously among them and is said to have founded no fewer than 45 Christian settlements at Travancore (Kerala). He devoted almost three years to the work of preaching to the people of Western India, converting many, and reaching in his journeys even the Island of Ceylon (Sri Lanka). Francis later visited Mailapur and the tomb of St. Thomas the Apostle, which he reached in April He remained there for four months. Then he went to Malacca and Japan. He came back again to Goa in February 1552 seeking permission for a missionary journey to China. On April he left for China but became sick with fever. He died on December 3, 1552 on the Island of Shangchwan, near the Chinese port of Canton. He was buried close to the cabin in which he had died, but his body was later transferred to Malacca and from there to Goa, where it still lies in a magnificent church. Francis Xavier is considered the greatest missionary since the time of the Apostles. Some biographers attribute to him the conversion of more than 700,000 persons in less than ten years; and though these figures cannot be verified, the work which Francis accomplished was enormous. In a letter to St. Ignatius Loyola he expressed a desire to go around the universities of Europe to stimulate zeal for the missions: I wish they would work as hard at this as they do at their books They would forget their own desires, their human affairs, and give themselves over entirely to God s will and His choice. Francis Xavier was beatified by Pope Paul V in 1619 and canonized by Pope Gregory XV in His Feast is celebrated on December 3rd every year. The body of St. Francis Xavier is still enshrined at Goa. In 1614 by order of Claudius Acquaviva, the Superior General of the Society of Jesus, his right arm was severed at the elbow and conveyed to Rome, where the present altar was erected to receive it in the church of the Gesu. NB: Please let Fr. Joseph know your suggestions regarding this page for our Children at / jelampara@yahoo.com

8 P a g e 8 Blessed Jacinta Marto Of Fatima By George Parappurath Jacinta was born on 11th March 1910, the younger sister of Francisco and Cousin to Lucia. Unlike her brother, she saw Our Lady during all six Apparitions, though she did not always hear what was being said to Lucia. A sensitive child, she cried bitterly at the age of five when she heard the Passion being read out, resolving not to make Our Lord suffer any more. She came under the spell of Lucia early on, regarding her more as an elder sister than a cousin. Her father, popularly known as Ti Marto, described Jacinta as the sweetest of his children. She called the moon Our Lady s Lamp. She had her faults, however, one of which was a tendency to sulk. During the first Apparition in May, 1917, Jacinta kept shyly in the background, but asked, charmingly, whether they should offer the Lady some of the bread and cheese they had brought for their lunch. Afterwards, Lucia insisted she should tell no one what she had seen. Jacinta vowed that she wouldn t say a word, but later, when her parents returned from the market she rushed out exclaiming: Oh, Mother! I saw Our Lady today! Over supper she related her story to the whole family. Her mother laughed but her father believed her, and Francisco supported her story, though he had neither seen nor heard anything. Word spread quickly and Lucia s mother, Maria Rosa, quizzed her fiercely. Since the parish priest refused to believe the children s story, poor Lucia received a thrashing for telling lies. Jacinta got the blame for breaking her promise to stay quiet. Asked later why Our Lady never spoke to Jacinta, Lucia replied: Because Jacinta s tongue is tied. If she spoke, Our Lady would speak to her. Jacinta would smile shyly but never attempt to speak to the vision. After interviewing the children the parish priest suggested they might be the victims of a trick by the Devil. Lucia was terrified, though Jacinta assured her the Devil was ugly and lived underground in Hell. When Lucia, worried by all the pressure, suggested telling everyone she had lied, Jacinta and Francisco told her indignantly that that would be a lie. Blessed Jacinta Marto, pray for us! Site: Mysticsofthechurch On 13th August, The Administrator, Santos, kidnapped the children to prevent them going to Cova da Iria for the next Apparition, and threatened them with a cauldron of boiling oil. Jacinta cried bitterly, not at the thought of dying, but because she would never see her mother again. It may well be that she and Francisco connected the death threats with Our Lady s promise to come soon to take them to heaven. A guard told them they could only save themselves by revealing the Secret. Jacinta trembled with fright but refused to speak and was marched off. Francisco was next, but when it was her turn Lucia found her two cousins alive and unharmed. Eventually, they were returned to the presbytery at Fatima. On Sunday, 19th August, the children witnessed their fourth Apparition. Interestingly, Jacinta was late joining the other two and the Lady waited until the very moment she arrived before appearing. A neighbor commented to Ti Marto that Our Lady obviously had a special regard for his daughter. After they had been taken ill during the Spanish Influenza epidemic in October, 1918, Jacinta told her cousin that Our Lady had come and said she would fetch Francisco very soon, that Jacinta herself would go to two hospitals and be alone. Lucia relates in her memoirs how her little cousin said she never tired of telling Our Lord and Our Lady how much she loved them. I have a fire in my chest but it doesn t burn me. She was obsessed by the thought of Hell and saving sinners. Jacinta went on to develop pneumonia and then tuberculosis. A purulent abscess in her side caused her great agony. She was taken to the hospital in Vila Nova de Ourem. Although she hated being separated from Lucia she welcomed the opportunity it gave her to offer up her suffering as a sacrifice. After two months she was no better and returned home. A local priest advised her to say her prayers in bed, since she fell over whenever she got up to say them. Later she was taken to Lisbon, but as there were no beds available in the hospital she ended up in a kind of orphanage. She was happy there since she was able to receive Communion every day. She told the lady in charge of the orphanage when she visited her that Our Lady had appeared and promised to fetch her soon and that her pain would stop. It did. On the evening of 20th February 1920, she asked to receive the Last Rites. A priest heard her confession and promised to bring her Communion next morning, but Jacinta died peacefully that night. She was almost eleven. Visitors who saw Jacinta in her open coffin exclaimed that she seemed to be alive, with the loveliest color. The unpleasant odor due to her illness was replaced by a fragrance as of the most delicious flowers. When Jacinta s coffin was opened on 12th September 1935, during its removal to a tomb especially built at Fatima, her face was seen to be perfectly incorrupt. Her relics and those of Francisco lie in the Basilica at Fatima, with the simple inscription: Here lie the mortal remains of Francisco and Jacinta to whom Our Lady appeared. Jacinta and her brother Francisco were beatified by Pope John Paul II on 13th May 2000 at Fatima. S y r o - M a l a b a r C a t h o l i c M i s s i o n o f G r e a t e r W a s h i n g t o n : N o r t h e r n V i r g i n i a C o m m u n i t y

9 V o l u m e 1, I s s u e 5 P a g e 9 Almond Cookies Let the little ones get a little flour on their cheeks this season. Try out this wonderful recipe suggested by Ashlyn Rocky, daughter of Regi Alexander & Soya Thomas. Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350 F Ingredients: 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup butter, softened 3/4 cups white sugar 2. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside. 3. In a large bowl, Mix together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add Almond mix well. 4. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets. 5. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes. Yummy cookies are ready. 1 cup Almond crushed 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Cross Word Puzzle : Nativity Answer to last month s /mcs/pca/ crossword_puzzle_answer_saints.html For advertising in the parish newsletter, please contact : /

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