Don Bosco Feast

DON BOSCO MODEL OF HOLINESS

Dear Friends, today we are gathered around this Eucharistic table as one family on the feast of the father and teacher of youth St. John Bosco, to honour him and to show our love and affection towards him.

When only nine he learned through a dream that he was called to dedicate his life to the education of the young. Through his style of education and pastoral practice, based on reason, religion and loving kindness (which he called his Preventive System), he helped young lads and teenagers to think seriously about their lives, to encounter Christ, accept their companions, learn about their faith and the sacraments, and to involve themselves in apostolic and professional commitment. Among the finest fruits of his pedagogy was the 15-year-old St. Dominic Savio.

The source of his tireless and efficacious activity was a constant union with God and limitless trust in Mary Help of Christians, whom he felt to be the inspirer and support of all his work. And to his Salesian sons he left a legacy in the form of a religious life that was simple but solidly founded on Christian virtues and summed up in the phrase: work and temperance.

Liturgy for the Feast of St. John Bosco

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/131nybN_XXQ8JfjX4Z3KXJmbbtbcUbbHa?usp=sharing

4th Ordinary Sunday

TEACHING WITH AUTHORITY

The influence of evil spirits over human beings has come to an end with the coming of Jesus because Jesus, being the Son of God, has power over them. The gospel of today bears ample witness to the authority of Jesus. The man in the synagogue with an unclean spirit recognizes Jesus as the Holy One of God. The unclean spirits fear that Jesus has come to destroy them. Their fear is actually true: Jesus has indeed come to destroy every form of evil that casts a spell on human beings. And we can actually see in the gospel of today the evil spirits trembling before Jesus. In the First Reading Moses tells the people that after his death God will raise a prophet like him who will lead them. In the Second Reading Paul appeals to the Corinthians to be faithful to their call to be Christians.

Liturgical materials for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ic66ylBtStDkRP1xyH60bvR28L8RSaN2?usp=sharing

Response Hymn - https://youtu.be/QSNeHvkpCfQ

3rd Ordinary Sunday

FISHING WITH JESUS

As Jesus begins his public ministry, he calls people to repentance and belief in the gospel. He then seeks collaborators to join him in his mission. Jesus demonstrates a certain amount of urgency to begin his ministry because John is no more on the scene to prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah as he has been arrested. Throughout the gospel of today we see Jesus moving quickly and decisively in search of disciples. At the invitation of Jesus two sets of brothers – Simon and Andrew, James and John – leave their fishing nets to join Jesus. There is a lesson for us too here: we have to be quick and decisive about the things we want to achieve in life. In the First Reading, the people of Nineveh repent at the preaching of Jonah. They call for a fast and put on sackcloth demonstrating their repentance. God’s initial plan has been to destroy the city with all its inhabitants for their evil ways, but their repentance saves them. God relents of the disaster he has said he would do and does not do it. In the Second Reading Paul exhorts the Corinthians to live in eager expectation of the imminent return of the Lord.

Liturgical materials for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1CIJi4NEAmGEkwEgNViAhPPYwHLWMIgHJ?usp=sharing

Tamil Response Hymn - https://youtu.be/AU-bRq0Np2M

2nd Ordinary Sunday

RESPONDING TO GOD’S CALL

When John the Baptist sees Jesus, he says in the hearing of his disciples that Jesus is the Lamb of God. The disciples of John become interested in knowing where Jesus is staying and Jesus invites them to stay with him and find out for themselves. The disciples not only find where Jesus is staying but they also gather information about him. They are convinced that Jesus is the Messiah and immediately want to introduce him to others. And so, Andrew brings his brother Simon to Jesus. Jesus establishes a deep relationship with Simon which has continued ever after. In the First Reading we see Samuel also receiving a call. Samuel is sleeping in the Temple near the Ark of God. Initially Samuel is not able to understand that God is calling him, but later with the help the elderly man Eli, Samuel responds saying, ‘Speak Lord, your servant is listening.’ In the Second Reading Paul reminds the Corinthians that Christians must preserve their bodies as the temples of the Holy Spirit because God will raise our bodies after we die. Hence, we have to keep our bodies chaste avoiding every sexual immorality. Let us ask for this grace as we celebrate the Eucharist.

Liturgical materials for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1NkWGCC2hHru3jTyso-ROt6RE0NWRwMqz?usp=sharing

Response Hymn - https://youtu.be/ebXN0BHLP-s

Pongal Liturgy

A TIME OF THANKSGIVING

“Pongal means ‘to overflow.’ The time when humankind’s love for nature and nature’s love for humankind overflow—that is Pongal. Human beings make nature happy by having good thoughts and doing good actions. Nature blesses humankind with a bountiful harvest. When the universal mind and the individual mind overflow and become one—that is what Pongal is symbol of. It is fitting to thank the Lord for this overflow of love and gratitude as God is the source and creator of this nature and of living beings. He continues to be the protector of the nature even when human beings try to destroy the nature for their selfish claims. We also need to be grateful to the nature and the cattle which assist us to make this world a beautiful place to live and enjoy and to overflow with love, goodness and happiness.

Pongal Liturgy
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16Sb3dwTFdGi6gx5C3MbBpIWDdNGw5ozX?usp=sharing

Baptism of the Lord

CALLED FOR A MISSION

Dear sisters and brothers, the Baptism of Jesus remains as a milestone in the life of Jesus which is faithfully recorded by all the four Gospels. It marked the end of Jesus’ thirty years of hidden life and the beginning of His public life. It is in fact another great Epiphany which highlights the presence of the three Divine Persons. It clearly affirms that Jesus is none other than the Son of God, who came into this world to suffer and die, in order to redeem the whole human race. The feast of the Baptism of the Lord marks the end of the liturgical season of Christmas and the beginning of the ordinary season of the Liturgical Year. Now, let us pause for a while and recall to our minds the baptism we received and the baptismal promises we’ve made and ask the Lord’s pardon for our failure to live in accordance with our baptismal promises.

Liturgy for the Feast of Baptism of the Lord

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1B-h4u1iGRJqZD-ZvHNGcQXr6uy87S8RP?usp=sharing

Epiphany of the Lord

THE MYSTERY REVEALED TO ALL

Dear brothers and sisters, we have come together to celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. This is the last feast of the Christmas season after which we continue our journey through the ordinary time of the year. The Epiphany marks the manifestation of Jesus to the Gentiles. In the Second Reading Paul writes that the Gentiles share the same inheritance as the Jews for they are part of the body of Christ. The arrival of the Wise Men from the faraway countries with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh is the fulfilment of the prophecy of Isaiah, “Lift up your eyes round about, and see; they all come together. They shall bring gold and frankincense and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.” The new era of salvation which began with the birth of Jesus is open to all. The Wise Men had to show great courage and diligence in order to find the Child Jesus. They were overjoyed to find the Child and their reaction was to fall down and worship him. Do we show the same diligence as the Wise Men did in finding Jesus?

Liturgical materials for the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1qszHKXWNt6Mh3FEMiN-355YjwUOMf_jl?usp=sharing

Response Hymn - https://youtu.be/WHChTgeVipg

New Year 2024

MARY, THE GOD-BEARER

Today we are celebrating the twin feasts of Mary Mother of God and New Year’s Day 2024. The Church wants to begin the New Year under the patronage of Mary, the mother of God. The First Reading from the Book of Numbers is an inspiring prayer used by the Old Testament priests. It is very fitting for welcoming the New Year as we pray to the Lord to bless and make us a new creation. The Second Reading reminds us that the birth of Christ is not just another event in human history but a fulfilment of the covenant through which God designed the victory over sin and death and ensured our salvation. The Gospel of today invites us to surrender ourselves to the mystery of God. Mary had to see her Son suffer ineffable pain on the cross before witnessing his burial in a borrowed tomb. Let us invoke Mary, our heavenly mother, for the graces we need to accomplish our own mission in this New Year.

Liturgy for the New Year 2024 Celebration

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1uaQOeNGnaJ_UwPuFW1NQknJR2sRc61nI?usp=sharing

Thanking 2023 & Welcoming 2024

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ZiuvAhbuy9jl4taGog6ceiIiUijHykyX?usp=sharing